Iranian Nobel laureate suffers suspected heart attack in prison, family says

Lead

The family of Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi says they fear her life is in critical danger after she suffered a suspected heart attack in prison earlier this month, for which she received inadequate treatment. The news came as the family of another prize-winning Iranian activist, Nasrin Sotoudeh, reported that she had been seized by authorities in Tehran.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from BBC, ABC Australia, and The Guardian all highlight the perilous situation of activists in Iran, though each places emphasis differently. BBC's report, which includes a statement from Mohammadi's brother Hamidreza, focuses on the Nobel laureate's deteriorating health and the impact of the ongoing US-Israeli war on prisoners. ABC Australia similarly underscores Mohammadi's condition and Sotoudeh's arrest, framing both as signs of a regime crackdown. The Guardian leads with Sotoudeh's arrest and places it in the context of what activists describe as a broader suppression of civil society under cover of the war.

Key Claims

• Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was found unconscious in her bed by fellow inmates at Zanjan Prison on March 24, according to her brother and supporters. She was initially treated at the prison infirmary, but officials refused to transfer her to a hospital despite her history of heart and lung problems and severe blood pressure fluctuations, her brother said.
• Mohammadi was arrested in December 2024 in the eastern city of Mashhad after speaking out against Iran's clerical authorities at a funeral ceremony. In February, she was sentenced to six more years in prison and transferred without prior warning to a prison in the northern city of Zanjan, according to multiple sources.
• Mohammadi's legal team, accompanied by a family member, was allowed to visit her on Sunday under heightened security surveillance, her supporters said in a statement. The Free Narges Coalition reported that her general health was "extremely poor," adding that she appeared "pale and weak with significant weight loss" when brought to the visitation room by a prison nurse, and that "her life is in imminent danger."
• Hamidreza Mohammadi told the BBC he feared for her life and demanded her release, saying, "We know her medical history, we know that she has heart problems and pulmonary problems. She must be in a hospital." He also noted that strikes and explosions near the prison since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran a month ago had added to her stress, saying the conflict "has had a terrible effect on prisoners in Iran."
• Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, was arrested in Tehran late on Wednesday, according to her daughter Mehraveh Khandan. Khandan said her mother was taken from their home and that her whereabouts were unknown. She suspected the arrest might be related to recent interviews in which Sotoudeh criticized the government over the war.
• Khandan said the family was not aware of any prior summons or threats. "We do not know which agency carried out the arrest or who was responsible," she told The Guardian.

Perspectives

The Activists' View

Supporters and family members portray the arrests and prison conditions as part of a systematic crackdown on dissent. They allege that Mohammadi's inadequate medical care and the denial of hospital transfer amount to deliberate neglect, and that Sotoudeh's arrest is an attempt to silence critics during the war. "Her life is in imminent danger," the Free Narges Coalition said, while Khandan expressed concern about her mother's health, citing a heart condition Sotoudeh developed after a hunger strike in prison.

The Broader Context

The reports also note that Iran is under a communications blackout, with internet shutdowns and restrictions on international calls, complicating efforts to verify details. Activists have raised concerns about a rise in executions, which they say is being overshadowed by the war. According to Iran Human Rights, at least 145 people have been confirmed executed in 2026 so far, with an additional 400-plus executions reported but not verified.

Official Iranian Position

Iranian authorities have not yet responded publicly to the reports. Neither the prison service nor the judiciary has commented on Mohammadi's condition or Sotoudeh's arrest. The government has previously denied mistreating prisoners and has defended its actions as necessary for national security.

Background

Mohammadi, who has spent more than a decade of her life in prison, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her activism against female oppression in Iran and for promoting human rights. She was serving a 13-year sentence on charges of "propaganda activity against the state" and "collusion against state security," which she denied, when she was given a temporary release on medical grounds in December 2024. She continued campaigning while out of prison.

Sotoudeh, who has represented many political prisoners, including opposition activists and women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarf, has been arrested and imprisoned repeatedly over the past two decades. She was released in 2021 on medical grounds. She has won awards including the 2012 Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament and the 2020 Right Livelihood Award.