51-year-old human rights defender N. Mohammadi, who is currently imprisoned in Evin prison in Tehran, was awarded the Nobel Prize in October for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran.
“Narges Mohammadi today sent a message from Evin prison to his family that he started a hunger strike a few hours ago. We are concerned about Narges Mohammadi’s physical condition and health,” her family said in a statement.
Ms. Mohammadi refuses under any circumstances to wear the hijab, a head covering that has been mandatory for women in public since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In response, prison officials refused to transfer Mohammadi, who has heart and lung problems, to a hospital outside Evin for treatment.
The family said in a statement that she urgently needed medical help outside the prison.
“Narges went on hunger strike today to protest two things: the Islamic Republic’s policy of delaying medical care for sick prisoners (…) [ir] policy of mandatory hijab for Iranian women,” the statement said.
“The Islamic Republic is responsible for everything that will happen to our beloved Narges,” it states. “They’ve been refusing to give her the medical help she needs for a week now.”
First arrested 22 years ago, Mohammadi has spent the past two decades in jail numerous times for her ongoing campaign for human rights in Iran.
Her current imprisonment began in November 2021. She has not seen her children, currently living in France, for eight years.
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2024-10-01 14:40:25
