Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, a prominent figure in the fight for human rights and the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was recently granted 21-day leave from prison by Iranian authorities to recover from surgery to treat suspected cancer. The move, which her family called “too little, too late,” has sparked criticism that Mohammadi was given insufficient time to recuperate.
Iranian prosecutors suspended Mohammadi’s prison sentence for three weeks, instead of the three months requested by her family and lawyers, to allow her to recover from surgery in November to remove part of a bone in her right leg, where doctors had discovered a lesion suspected of being cancerous.
Mohammadi’s family told CNN that she was “unable to walk.” “She is in an ambulance on her way home,” the family said in a statement Wednesday. The ambulance had to be paid for by the activist, as Iranian authorities did not cover the costs.
The Narges Foundation, run by her family, criticized the decision for the time it deemed insufficient for the activist to recover. The foundation had previously called for her release for at least three months.
Mohammadi has spent most of the last two decades in prison in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, known for housing critics of the Iranian regime. She is serving multiple sentences totaling more than 30 years, accused of activities that undermine national security and spreading propaganda against the state.
Her supporters consider her a political prisoner detained for trying to advance women’s rights and democracy in the country. In 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her “struggle against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”
In November, her family accused the Iranian regime of trying to cause her “slow death” by denying her the surgery needed to confirm her cancer diagnosis. Her family and lawyers had warned that any delay in her treatment could be fatal and had requested that she be granted “medical leave” to cover both the treatment for the suspected cancer and various other health issues she faces.
According to her lawyer, a recent MRI scan revealed the progression of arthritis and disc problems, while doctors also requested a new angiogram on one of her coronary arteries after she suffered a heart attack in 2021.
However, her foundation stressed that Tuesday’s decision was a suspension of her sentence, not a leave. “Unlike a ‘medical leave’, which would have allowed the recovery period to count towards her prison sentence, this suspension means that upon her return she will have to serve an additional 30 days,” the foundation said.
“Weeks of enduring excruciating pain in prison, despite the tireless efforts of her fellow inmates, human rights organizations and international figures, highlight Narges Mohammadi’s continued disregard for her human rights and the inhumane treatment she is subjected to,” the foundation added.
Despite her incarceration, Mohammadi has continued to campaign for human rights causes, advocating for the rights of Iranian women and calling for a peaceful resolution to the war in Gaza.
Prominent figures, including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have recently called for her release.
It is essential to stress the importance of ensuring appropriate and humane medical care for all individuals, regardless of their prison or political situation. The case of Narges Mohammadi highlights the persistent challenges faced by human rights defenders in Iran and the need to uphold the fundamental principles of freedom and justice for all.