Iranian human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was hospitalized after a sudden deterioration of her health in prison, her family and lawyer said Friday.

According to her family, the 54-year-old suffered a heart attack in late March and has been in a weakened state since, with prison medical care deemed inadequate.

Mohammadi received the Nobel Prize for her advocacy of women's rights and opposition to the death penalty, activities that have led to multiple imprisonments by Iranian authorities. She is currently serving a 7.5-year sentence.

Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said she had long suffered from cardiac arrhythmia. "She had severe chest pain, and her condition then deteriorated critically," Nili wrote on X.

The Narges Mohammadi Foundation stated she was hospitalized "following a catastrophic deterioration of her health, including two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis." The foundation described the transfer as a "desperate, last-minute" measure.

Mohammadi has previously undergone three angioplasties. Her family called for all charges to be dropped and sentences annulled for her peaceful human rights work.

She was first jailed in 1998 for criticizing the Iranian government. Her latest arrest came in December 2023 for denouncing the death of human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi. In February, she received an additional 6 years for conspiracy and 1.5 years for propaganda.

Source: www.dw.com