Visitors of Narges Mohammadi Threatened and Arrested During Her Hospital Stay

Narges Mohammadi, a imprisoned human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reported that her visitors at the hospital were threatened and arrested, emphasizing that she will continue to protest in the streets without a hijab until the mandatory hijab is abolished. Taghi Rahmani, the husband of this political prisoner, told the Persian section of Voice of America that after Narges Mohammadi was transferred to the heart hospital, several friends, fellow inmates, and mothers seeking justice who had come to visit and support her were threatened and arrested. On Narges Mohammadi's Instagram page, it was stated that while she was surrounded by 'dozens of security and military forces' in a room at the hospital, her former cellmate, Noushin Jafari, and one of the mothers seeking justice who had come to visit her were arrested. This imprisoned human rights activist pointed out the 'fear of the government' of seeing her 'without a hijab' among 'the men of the religious authoritarian government' and emphasized that she will continue to come to the streets until the mandatory hijab is abolished. Narges Mohammadi wrote to the Islamic Republic government, stating, 'You will tremble in fear of seeing us women without the mandatory hijab.' After being taken to the hospital on Wednesday, November 8, 'without a hijab and wearing a jacket and skirt' and among dozens of government forces, she announced that she would end her hunger strike. This Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner had been on a hunger strike since November 6 in protest against the 'Islamic Republic's policy of delaying and neglecting medical care for sick prisoners' and protesting the 'policy of either death or mandatory hijab for women in Iran.' After Narges Mohammadi announced her opposition to the mandatory hijab, judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic attempted to force her to wear a hijab by preventing her transfer to the hospital. This action by the Islamic Republic faced criticism from international organizations, including the Nobel Committee, the Olof Palme Foundation, and the American PEN Association, and ultimately, the authorities of the Islamic Republic complied with Narges Mohammadi's demands and transferred her to the hospital without a mandatory hijab. Narges Mohammadi, born in 1972 in Zanjan, 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. Taghi Rahmani told Voice of America: Narges Mohammadi was sent to the hospital 'without a mandatory hijab.' Narges Mohammadi's account of her transfer to the hospital; I went in a jacket and skirt and came back. The Nobel Peace Committee expressed concern about Narges Mohammadi's health status. The Gholian family warned about Narges Mohammadi's situation in Evin; they are killing her.