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IRAN - Narges Mohammadi Denied Adequate Medical Care After Heart Attack
April 2, 2026: April 2, 2026 - IRAN. Narges Mohammadi Denied Adequate Medical Care After Heart Attack
The health of prominent human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has severely deteriorated, including an untreated heart attack and continued denial of specialised medical care, per her family. She remains detained in unsafe conditions alongside prisoners convicted of violent offences, while authorities have refused urgent requests for her transfer or release. Ongoing airstrikes near the prison have further placed her life and that of other prisoners at risk.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, prominent human rights defender Narges Mohammadi suffered from a heart attack on 24 March 2026 following prolonged denial of adequate medical care. Narges, who has long suffered from chest pain, lost consciousness completely; her eyes rolled back and she became unresponsive. According to eyewitnesses, this condition, accompanied by cold extremities and numbness, lasted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. A prison nurse, who had entered the ward to distribute medication, found her unconscious and, with the assistance of other prisoners, she was wrapped in a blanket and transferred to the women’s ward infirmary.
Her consciousness returned following the administration of medication, and a general practitioner diagnosed a heart attack. Despite her critical condition, she has remained in prison and, to date, has not been transferred to a hospital or examined by a specialist.
On 29 March, Narges’ sister and lawyers were able to see her in person after 107 days of detention. The meeting took place under heavy security in the presence of prison officials, including the head of the women’s ward and representatives of the prison intelligence and judicial protection units. Observations by her family and legal team indicate that she appeared extremely pale, emaciated and in poor physical condition, and had been taken to the infirmary shortly before the meeting due to severe chest pain. She was brought to the meeting accompanied by a nurse.
On 4 March 2026, Mohammadi’s lawyers had met with the Zanjan provincial prosecutor and formally submitted three requests: her release on bail in light of her medical condition, her transfer to the political prisoners’ ward of Evin Prison in Tehran, and her urgent transfer to Pars Hospital in Tehran. The lawyers emphasised that, under Iranian law, she should be held in her place of residence, Tehran, and presented medical documentation demonstrating her urgent need for specialised treatment. The prosecutor claimed to lack authority to decide, stating that the case falls under the jurisdiction of prosecutors in Mashhad and Tehran, while authorities continue to insist on holding her in the general ward of Zanjan Prison.
Narges was violently arrested at the memorial service for human rights lawyer Khosro Alikordi in Mashhad on 12 December 2025, and transferred to Zanjan Central Prison. As the prison lacks a dedicated political ward, Narges is reportedly held in a room known as the “death row room” where people convicted of violent offences are held. Reports further indicate that she has been subjected to ongoing harassment, intimidation and threats by other prisoners.
This is the third time Mohammadi has been exiled to Zanjan Prison. She was previously transferred there on 17 May 2012 following solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, and again on 25 December 2019 after staging a sit-in protest in Evin Prison against the November 2019 killings, during which she was subjected to severe beatings. Zanjan Prison, which has a high rate of executions and lacks minimum standards, holds approximately 2,500 prisoners, including juveniles.
Wartime conditions have further exacerbated difficult prison conditions. On 31 March 2026, heavy air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel targeted areas in southern Zanjan, within a few kilometres of the prison where she is held. Narges is currently serving multiple prison sentences totalling approximately 18 years.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8664/ (Source: IHR)
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