Narges Mohammadi Transferred to Hospital in Critical Condition After Cardiac Crisis
Incident and Hospital Transfer
According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, the 54-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate was moved from prison to the cardiac care unit of a hospital in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, on Friday. The transfer occurred after she experienced two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis earlier that day.
Prison doctors determined that her condition could not be managed on-site, the foundation stated. The transfer followed 140 days of systematic medical neglect since her arrest on December 12. Her family described the action as "last-minute."
Medical Condition
Mohammadi has a history of chronic heart and other health issues. On March 24, 2025, fellow inmates found her unconscious; her lawyers later stated she likely had a heart attack. Since then, she had reported chest pain and breathing difficulties.
On Friday, after the first fainting spell, prison doctors administered medication. She initially refused hospital transfer, demanding to see her cardiologist. After fainting a second time, a neurologist ordered immediate transfer.
"Her blood pressure continued to fluctuate severely after admission to the cardiac care unit."
A medical official in Zanjan recommended a one-month suspension of her sentence for treatment. The public prosecutor in Zanjan referred this matter to a counterpart in Tehran.
Background and Legal Status
Mohammadi is serving an 18-year prison sentence on multiple charges. Prior to her arrest on December 12, 2025, she was on a medical furlough granted in late 2024 due to health concerns. She was re-arrested after speaking out against the government at a funeral.
She was sentenced to 10 years for threatening national security and an additional 7.5 years in February 2026 by a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad. Such courts typically issue verdicts with limited opportunity for defendants to contest charges, according to reports. She was previously serving a 13-year, 9-month sentence on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against the Iranian government.
Mohammadi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her activism on women's rights, against torture and sexual violence, and for the abolition of the death penalty. She has been arrested 13 times, convicted 5 times, and sentenced to a total of 31 years and 154 lashes. She was a prominent activist in Iran's "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement while imprisoned in Evin Prison.
Statements
Her brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, living in Oslo, said: "My family in Iran is doing everything they can. But the prosecutors in Zanjan are blocking everything."
Her lawyer Mostafa Nili posted updates about her condition and the transfer on the social media platform X.
Related Context
According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Iranian government has executed at least 22 political prisoners, including three minors, in the past six weeks, often without notifying families or lawyers.