Iranian Nobel Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Temporarily Released Following Surgery

Narges Mohammadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been granted a three-week release from prison for medical reasons, her lawyer stated. Mostafa Nili confirmed that authorities suspended his client’s incarceration period following medical recommendations, after Ms. Mohammadi had surgery to excise a tumor. Her family and advocates have urged her permanent liberation, characterizing the brief release as “too little, too late.” The 52-year-old women’s rights activist has been incarcerated in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison since 2021. Subsequent to her provisional release, a video appeared on Ms. Mohammadi’s Instagram profile, depicting her seated on a stretcher as she was moved from an ambulance. In the recording, she is heard exclaiming “Woman, Life, Freedom,” the rallying cry of the 2022-2023 protest movement that challenged the Islamic government. Social media images displayed Ms. Mohammadi’s right leg extensively bandaged. She was also seen holding a photograph of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death in custody in September 2022 ignited the widespread protests. Taghi Rahmani, Ms. Mohammadi’s husband, informed journalists that his wife “came out in a good state of mind, a combative state despite her very fragile state of health.” Her 18-year-old son, Ali Rahmani, described their phone conversation as short but impactful, adding, “She was able to tell me that she loves me.” “The first thing she told me was that she’d left Evin prison without the compulsory veil.” Jorgen Watne Frydnes, who chairs the Norwegian Nobel Committee, urged Iranian authorities to “permanently end her imprisonment and ensure that she will get adequate medical treatment for her illnesses.” A spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva characterized the provisional release as “important,” and reaffirmed its demand “for the immediate and unconditional release of Ms Mohammadi,” as well as other Iranian individuals “detained or imprisoned for the legitimate exercise of their freedom of expression and other human rights.” Mr. Nili posted on X, stating that the public prosecutor, acting on the recommendation of an examining physician, had suspended her prison sentence for a period of three weeks, leading to her release from detention. The Narges Mohammadi Foundation issued a statement indicating that she had surgery last month after medical professionals identified a bone lesion in her right leg, which was suspected of being cancerous. She was subsequently returned to prison after only two days. The organization asserted that this action was taken “against her doctor’s advice and request from her legal team, even though she was unable to walk or even sit.” Since that time, Ms. Mohammadi has experienced a “rapid development of bedsores and intensified pain in her back and legs.” The foundation labeled the 21-day suspension as “inadequate,” stating that a minimum of three months is vital for her recuperation. The foundation further explained that, unlike a medical furlough which would have credited the recovery period against her prison sentence, this specific suspension mandates that she will have to complete an extra 21 days upon her return to incarceration. Ms. Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her advocacy against the subjugation of women in Iran. Her adolescent children received the award in Oslo on her behalf, presenting a speech that had been clandestinely removed from prison. “I write this message from behind the high, cold walls of a prison. The Iranian people, with perseverance, will overcome repression and authoritarianism,” Ms. Mohammadi conveyed. In 2016, she received a 16-year prison sentence but was subsequently released on bail. Following this, she initiated a campaign against solitary confinement and authored two books along with a documentary film. Her re-arrest occurred in 2021, and she has remained imprisoned since that time. According to her foundation, Ms. Mohammadi has faced arrest 13 times, undergone five trials, and received sentences totaling over 32 years in prison and 154 lashes. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.