Temporary Medical Release of Narges Mohammadi Based on Forensic Opinion

Narges Mohammadi's lawyer states that the execution of this political prisoner's sentence has been suspended for three weeks based on forensic opinion and with the agreement of the Tehran prosecutor's office, allowing her temporary release from prison for medical treatment. Mustafa Nili, Narges Mohammadi's lawyer, announced this news on Wednesday, December 5, stating that his client was released due to her physical condition following a tumor operation and bone graft that took place 21 days ago. According to Mr. Nili, due to Ms. Mohammadi's health status, the forensic medicine organization and the Tehran prosecutor's office have suspended the sentence of this political prisoner for 'three weeks.' Narges Mohammadi's lawyer also announced that the removed tumor was benign, but his client must be examined 'every three months' for this reason. Narges Mohammadi, who has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times over the past two decades, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'propaganda against the regime' in her latest legal case and is currently held in Evin Prison in Tehran. While serving her sentence, she has faced multiple fabricated cases from the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic. This human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate was returned to prison on November 18 after undergoing surgery to remove a bone tumor from her leg, but her treating physician emphasized that given the type of surgery and the location of the lesion, she needs three months of care in optimal conditions. In this context, last week, Vida Rabani, a journalist imprisoned in the women's ward of Evin Prison, reported in a letter that Narges Mohammadi had developed 'bed sores' following her recent surgery and wrote that the Evin Prison authorities were ignoring her 'severe surgical wounds, bed sores, the filthiness of the room and restroom, and the inadequacy of medical facilities.' Ms. Rabani also mentioned her own hunger strike and that of Matheera Gounai, a student activist in prison, stating that this action began on November 19 in protest against Ms. Mohammadi's condition and the lack of medical attention for other prisoners, such as Varisha Moradi. Prior to this, Matheera Gounai had written in a letter to the Iranian Minister of Health regarding Narges Mohammadi's health condition: 'Returning Narges Mohammadi to prison after angiography with minimal facilities and on a stretcher that she herself had rented was unbelievable.' Furthermore, in recent months, many civil and human rights activists and human rights organizations have called for the immediate release of this Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In this regard, the UN Independent Fact-Finding Committee has also emphasized that Narges Mohammadi should be granted immediate medical leave and access to necessary medical services and medications, and should be released from prison immediately. Additionally, May Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, expressed deep concern over Narges Mohammadi's situation and her return to prison 'only two days after surgery,' writing on her social media account: 'Along with other UN experts, I have asked the Islamic Republic to release human rights defenders, including women's rights activists, and to provide timely and adequate healthcare for prisoners.' The US State Department has also repeatedly called on the Iranian government to stop attacks against human rights defenders and to release all unjustly detained prisoners, including Narges Mohammadi. The judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic exert pressure on some political prisoners by depriving them of their right to medical treatment. For instance, in recent weeks, the brother of Fatemeh Sepahri, a political prisoner opposing the Islamic Republic in Mashhad, expressed serious concern over her physical condition, stating that Ms. Sepahri had 'repeatedly requested medical leave' after heart surgery, but the authorities 'of Mashhad intelligence and the prison judge have opposed' it, and Ms. Sepahri was told she could only leave prison if she did not give interviews to the media.