Nobel Peace Committee Expresses Concern Over Narges Mohammadi's Health Status

A few days after Narges Mohammadi announced a hunger strike in protest of prisoners' lack of access to medical assistance, the Nobel Committee also reacted with a statement. Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Nobel Committee, expressed concern for the health of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and warned the Iranian government to take necessary actions to provide the medical assistance needed for her and other imprisoned women. The Olof Palme Foundation of Sweden, which awarded its 2023 prize to Narges Mohammadi, also called for essential medical care for her in an open letter signed by Stefan Löfven, the chair of the foundation and former Prime Minister of Sweden, and Joakim Palme, the vice-chair of the foundation, addressed to Ahmad Masoumi Far, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Sweden. Previously, following the announcement of Mohammadi's hunger strike, the American PEN Association emphasized the need for her immediate and unconditional release. The American PEN Association stated in a post on X that 'hundreds have sent letters calling for Narges Mohammadi's release from prison to join her family. After the news of her hunger strike, concerns about her health and safety have increased, and we continue to demand her unconditional release.' On Monday, November 6, it was announced that Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner, had gone on a hunger strike in protest of 'not being sent to the heart hospital.' Mohammadi's family, in a message posted on an Instagram account attributed to this human rights defender, stated that the reason for this hunger strike was to protest the 'Islamic Republic's policy of delaying and neglecting medical care for sick prisoners' and to protest the 'policy of either death or compulsory hijab for women in Iran.' According to this report, after a week of follow-ups by Narges Mohammadi from prison and her lawyer from judicial authorities, the Tehran prosecutor opposed her transfer and did not issue a permit for it. Meanwhile, according to the same source, this human rights defender 'should have been urgently transferred to a heart and lung center according to the diagnosis and echo of the trusted physician of the prison organization a week ago.' Narges Mohammadi had previously stated that she would not comply with the compulsory hijab for her transfer to the hospital, and for this reason, in previous instances, judicial officials in prison had prevented her transfer to the hospital. The Instagram account attributed to Narges Mohammadi mentioned on Monday, November 8, that her medical transfer had been blocked for the second time since September 4, citing her 'refusal' to comply with the compulsory hijab and 'not wearing a headscarf.' According to this note, the prosecutor ordered that 'under no circumstances' should Narges Mohammadi be transferred to the hospital without a headscarf. Narges Mohammadi had previously emphasized that in honor of the 'martyrdom of Armita,' she would not tolerate the 'compulsory hijab.' The Nobel Committee awarded its Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi on October 6 for her fight against oppression and injustice towards women in Iran. Born in 1972 in Zanjan, she has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times over the past two decades. In her latest legal case, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'anti-government propaganda' and is currently in Evin Prison in Tehran. After Narges Mohammadi's opposition to the hijab, Reza Shahabi also refused to wear his prison clothes. The family of Gholian warned about Narges Mohammadi's situation in Evin; they are killing her. The Iran Human Rights Organization expressed serious concern about Narges Mohammadi's health status. The American PEN Association demanded that Narges Mohammadi be released 'unconditionally.' Narges Mohammadi went on a hunger strike in protest of 'the lack of medical care for sick prisoners.'