Nobel Peace Prize laureate imprisoned in Iran hospitalized with serious health problems

Iranian authorities have allowed jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to be hospitalized after nearly nine weeks of feeling unwell, a group advocating for the activist said on Sunday.

The Free Narges Coalition said in a statement that Mohammadi should be given sick leave to undergo comprehensive treatment for multiple illnesses. It says simply transferring her to hospital will not solve the serious health problems caused by months of neglect and deprivation.

Mohammadi is being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, where political prisoners and those with ties to the West are held. She was already serving a 30-month sentence, to which a further 15 months were added in January.

On Saturday, Iranian authorities gave her an additional six-month sentence after she protested the execution of another political prisoner in the women’s section of Evin prison on August 6.

Mohammadi suffers from heart disease and, according to her medical report released in September, the main artery of her heart has again developed a serious complication.

The coalition said it continues to demand Mohammadi’s unconditional release and full access to medical care.

Mohammadi is the 19th woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi in 2003.

Mohammadi, 52, continues to be active despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and years behind bars.