Nobel Committee Urges Transfer of Mohammadi as Health Deteriorates

The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, has called for the “immediate” transfer of imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to Tehran, warning that her life remains at risk without proper treatment.

Mohammadi, 54, was rushed to hospital on Friday following a “catastrophic deterioration” in her health, according to her foundation. She was admitted to a facility in Zanjan after suffering two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and serious heart problems.

Her condition worsened after admission, with reports of nausea and unstable blood pressure. She is currently in intensive care, her foundation said, according to DPA.

Frydnes said Mohammadi should be transferred without delay to her own medical team in the capital. “Without such treatment, her life remains in danger,” he told AFP.

Her family described the hospitalization as a “last-minute intervention” that may have come too late.

Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said Mohammadi had long suffered from cardiac arrhythmia. She initially refused transfer to hospital due to concerns that the facility in Zanjan was not equipped to treat her condition. After a second collapse and further deterioration, she was admitted.

“According to the neurologist, treatment of her neurological problems is currently the priority despite her serious heart condition,” Nili said on X.

Mohammadi is serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months in prison on charges including conspiring against state security and spreading propaganda against the Iranian authorities.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her campaign against the oppression of women and the death penalty in Iran.

(dpa, bk)