Taghi Rahmani to VOA: Narges Mohammadi Transferred to Hospital 'Without Mandatory Hijab'

Following international concerns regarding the health of Narges Mohammadi, a political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, her husband Taghi Rahmani stated on Wednesday, November 8, to VOA that she was transferred to the hospital 'without mandatory hijab.' In an interview with the Persian section of VOA, Rahmani announced that Narges Mohammadi was sent from Evin Prison to the hospital for medical examinations without the mandatory hijab. After Mohammadi's hunger strike in protest against prisoners' lack of access to medical assistance, the Nobel Committee, the Olof Palme Foundation, and the American PEN Association expressed concerns about her health. Britt Rausing-Andersen, chair of the Nobel Committee, issued a statement reacting to the news of Mohammadi's hunger strike, expressing concern for the health of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner and warning the Iranian government to take necessary actions to provide the required medical assistance 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, chair of the foundation's board and former Prime Minister of Sweden, and Joakim Palme, vice-chair of the foundation's board, addressed to Ahmad Masoumi Far, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Sweden. Previously, 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. Following the news of her hunger strike, concerns about her health and safety have increased, and we continue to demand her unconditional release.' Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner, has been on hunger strike since November 6 in protest against 'the Islamic Republic's policy of delaying and neglecting medical care for sick prisoners' and in protest against 'the policy of either death or mandatory hijab for women in Iran.' Mohammadi has previously stated that she is unwilling to comply with the mandatory hijab for her transfer to the hospital, and as a result, judicial authorities have previously prevented her from being sent to the hospital. Meanwhile, 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.' An Instagram page attributed to Narges Mohammadi on Monday, October 30, mentioned that her medical transfer had been prevented for the second time since September 4 due to her refusal to comply with the mandatory hijab and 'not wearing a headscarf.' According to this note, the prosecutor had ordered that Narges Mohammadi 'must not be sent to the hospital under any circumstances' without a headscarf. Mohammadi had previously emphasized, referring to the 'martyrdom of Armita,' that in honor of her blood, she would not tolerate the 'mandatory hijab.' 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 held in Evin Prison in Tehran. Following Narges Mohammadi's refusal to wear the hijab, Reza Shahabi also refused to wear his prison clothes. The Ghalean family has warned about Narges Mohammadi's situation in Evin, stating that they are killing her. The Iran Human Rights Organization has expressed serious concern about Narges Mohammadi's health. The American PEN Association has called for Narges Mohammadi to be 'released unconditionally.' Narges Mohammadi went on hunger strike in protest against 'the lack of medical care for sick prisoners.'