The 'Freedom of Narges' Coalition Condemns Additional Six-Month Prison Sentence for Narges Mohammadi

The strategic committee of the international coalition 'Freedom of Narges' condemned the new six-month prison sentence issued for Narges Mohammadi and called for her immediate release and access to essential medical services. In a statement released on Thursday, November 3, the coalition announced that the Islamic Republic has not only prevented the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner from accessing medical care but has also issued a 'new sentence' against her in a 'retaliatory action' due to her insistence on reporting news from inside the prison. The coalition reiterated its demand for her unconditional release, emphasizing the urgent need for her to receive medical leave for necessary medical interventions recommended by doctors without delay. Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to an additional six months in prison on October 20 for 'disobedience and resistance to orders' by Branch 2 of the Quds Criminal Court. This charge was brought against the human rights activist and four other political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin Prison following their protest against the execution of Reza Rasayi, a Kurdish political prisoner, in August. Meanwhile, several of Narges Mohammadi's fellow inmates in the women's ward of Evin Prison protested against her lack of hospital transfer, citing her health condition. In a letter published on Thursday, 22 female political prisoners in Evin stated that Ms. Mohammadi has recently experienced chest pain again, and the prison medical officer has described her health condition as 'high-risk.' The letter's authors noted that according to the doctor's orders, Narges Mohammadi should have been transferred to the hospital for an angioplasty in September. They mentioned that in addition to three letters from the hospital's specialist, the prison's trusted doctor has examined her and called for her urgent transfer to the hospital. Furthermore, the head of Evin's medical department has repeatedly reminded prison officials of the necessity for her emergency transfer, but Evin officials continue to prevent her transfer, citing 'orders from higher authorities.' It had previously been reported that despite the doctor's recommendation for angiography in June 2023, Evin prison officials ultimately transferred Narges Mohammadi to the hospital with a delay of one and a half months on July 9, but doctors emphasized the urgent need for surgery due to the discovery of a mass in her breast and postponed the angiography. Vida Rabani, Matoureh Ghonei, Anisha Asadollahi, Sepideh Ghaliyan, Golrokh Iraei, Maryam Yahyavi, Samaneh Asghari, Nasim Simiyari, Saeideh Shafiei, Pakhshan Azizi, and Nasrin Khazri Javadi are among the signatories of this letter. Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has spent over 10 years in prison and has been sentenced to a total of more than 36 years in prison. During this time, judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly issued sentences for her in new cases.