Imprisoned Nobel Laureate Denied Healthcare Over Hijab Refusal

Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2023, has been refused hospital treatment for refusing to wear a hijab.

Alieh Motallebzadeh, a civil activist and women's rights advocate, said Mohammadi was refused treatment for a second time on Monday on grounds that she is not following mandatory state laws over wearing the hijab.

Motallebzadeh said: "Unfortunately, Narges Mohammadi's health is not good; her heart veins are blocked, and she needs angioplasty. However, authorities have refused to transfer her to a medical facility because Narges steadfastly refuses to wear the headscarf."

Mohammadi, a vocal advocate for women's rights and a key figure in the Women, Life, Freedom protests, has consistently expressed her opposition to compulsory hijab in Iran.

In recent months, Mohammadi, 51, has written multiple letters from Evin Prison, where she has been confined since November 2021, serving a twelve-year sentence on charges that include "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." She has consistently refuted the allegations which were levied against her following her public stance against the death penalty.

Mohammadi, who serves as the co-founder and chairperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, has experienced detention and imprisonment on several occasions throughout the last twenty years.