Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Faces Death Risk After 20 kg Weight Loss and Suspected Heart Attack in Prison

Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned for her human‑rights work. She was released for health reasons in 2024 but re‑arrested in December 2025 during a memorial service for another activist and transferred to Zanjan central prison in north‑west Iran. Before her latest arrest she had already served more than a decade behind bars, endured 161 days in solitary confinement, and in February 2026 received an additional seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against the government. Her cumulative sentences now exceed 44 years, with more than ten years already served.

Family members reported that Mohammadi’s weight has dropped by almost 20 kg (44 lb) since her re‑arrest. She experienced a suspected heart attack last month, was found unconscious in her cell, and has had fluctuating blood pressure unresponsive to medication. Cardiac specialists consulted by the family told them that imprisoning her under the harsh prison environment, with inadequate medical facilities, is equivalent to a death sentence. They also noted her complex cardiac history, including multiple previous angioplasties and a stent, which requires specialist care only available in a fully equipped Tehran hospital. Her daughter Kiana Rahmani said her mother’s body is exhausted after over a decade behind bars and numerous hunger strikes, while her son Ali noted she is being punished for speaking up for those executed or disappeared.

The combination of extreme weight loss, cardiac distress, and lack of appropriate treatment places Mohammadi’s life in immediate danger, according to her relatives and medical experts. Her case has drawn attention from international human‑rights groups, who argue that continued detention violates both medical ethics and Iran’s own obligations to provide care for prisoners. The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said her situation underscores broader concerns about the treatment of political prisoners in Iran, particularly those with pre‑existing health conditions. The foundation warned that, without urgent medical intervention, Mohammadi faces at least 18 more years of imprisonment and 154 lashes for her peaceful activism.

Observers will monitor whether Iranian authorities grant a medical furlough or transfer her to a Tehran hospital for specialist care, and whether international pressure leads to a review of her sentence or release.