Narges Mohammadi critical after heart attack in prison
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 10
Narges Mohammadi critical after heart attack in prison
13 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 10
The Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate was found unconscious in her cell in March and is now held in critical condition at a small regional hospital in Zanjan.
Her family says repeated requests by relatives and doctors for treatment by her surgeons in Tehran were denied, calling her continued detention and lack of care a "slow execution".
An editor's note says Mohammadi, arrested 14 times, was temporarily released in December 2024 after health crises, then re-arrested in 2025; her memoir is due later this year.
Trapped between their regime and foreign bombs, how can Iran's political prisoners survive being caught in a deadly crossfire?
When a state uses medical neglect as a 'slow execution,' are international human rights protections effectively meaningless?
Iran’s Human Rights Emergency: Narges Mohammadi’s Imprisonment, Health Crisis, and the Surge of 2,000+ Executions in 2025
Overview
Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent human rights activist in Iran, suffered a suspected heart attack in late March 2026 while imprisoned. Due to the severity of her condition and the inadequacy of prison medical facilities, she was urgently transferred from Zanjan prison to Tehran Pars Hospital for specialized care by her own medical team. This crisis highlights her ongoing health struggles, which have previously led to temporary releases, and underscores the risks faced by political prisoners in Iran. Mohammadi’s case draws international attention to the harsh repression of activists and the critical need for proper medical treatment in detention.