The husband of Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent Iranian human rights activist, says Iranian authorities are blocking his wife's access to urgently needed medical care by twice refusing her requests to be transferred to a hospital because she will not wear a head scarf.
In an interview with RFERL’s Radio Farda on November 1, Taghi Rahmani highlighted the precarious situation, saying that despite significant blockage in her coronary artery and a prison doctor's urgent transfer order, Evin Prison officials have obstructed her hospitalization over the hijab issue.
Rahmani, a political activist, called for international pressure against the Islamic Republic's moves, saying his wife faces grave risks given her medical history.
She is "not in good condition and she should be examined and treated urgently," he said.
The family recently shared statements on Mohammadi's Instagram that prison officials twice refused her transfer to the infirmary, prompting a hospital doctor to bring echocardiography equipment into the prison.
The examination indicated "critical pulmonary pressure and poor arterial condition, which require immediate medical attention," they said.
Renowned globally as a staunch advocate for the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 6.
For years she has voiced dissent against the obligatory hijab rule imposed on Iranian women, as well as restrictions on women's freedoms and rights in the country by its Islamic rulers.
Rahmani said that the Nobel prize has ratcheted up pressure by officials on Mohammadi, with some citing her statements as grounds for indictment.
Rahmani also noted Mohammadi's steadfast refusal to revert to wearing the mandatory hijab, or Islamic head scarf, a stance reinforced since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests.
"She does not want to return to the previous era," he said, noting it has been more than 20 months since she was allowed to speak to her children while Rahmani, who has been labeled by authorities as a "fugitive accused," is prohibited from speaking with his wife.
On November 1, Mohammadi's family reported a sit-in by her and fellow inmates at Evin Prison to protest against the denial of her transfer to a cardiac hospital, underscoring the ongoing struggle for basic rights within the Iranian penal system.