Narges Mohammadi Temporarily Released on Medical Grounds
PEN Norway welcomes the temporary release of Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi but reiterates its demand for her unconditional release.
Narges Mohammadi was temporarily released on Wednesday, December 4, from Evin Prison in Tehran on medical grounds. The release is scheduled to last three weeks, after which she is required to return to prison.
The human rights defender, former Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and PEN Norway’s honorary Member has been imprisoned since November 2021 for her advocacy for women’s rights and her opposition to the death penalty in Iran. Previously, she served a 10-year prison sentence. Her current cumulative sentence is 13 years and nine months, and she has endured solitary confinement multiple times.
Narges has faced severe health challenges, which has worsened during her imprisonment. In 2022, she suffered multiple heart attacks and underwent emergency surgery. Just weeks ago, she had another urgent operation to remove a tumor from her leg. Despite her deteriorating health, prison authorities have consistently denied her access to adequate medical care. Alongside her family and the Free Narges coalition, PEN Norway has continuously called for her release and access to essential healthcare.
Even under these harsh and unjust conditions, Narges remains determined in her fight for fundamental rights. From prison, she has taken action on multiple occasions, including hunger strikes, to protest the brutal treatment of herself and other prisoners and to advocate for basic human rights.
