For a decade, the walls of Iran’s most notorious prisons—Evin, Qarchak, and Zanjan—have attempted to silence Narges Mohammadi. But as her smuggled writings now reveal, the human impulse to witness is often stronger than the state’s impulse to erase. In a series of exclusive extracts from her forthcoming memoir, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate describes a harrowing existence defined by the “torture” of solitary confinement and a calculated, systematic denial of medical care.
The writings, which were risked by fellow prisoners and visitors to be smuggled out and rewritten multiple times after prison guards destroyed original notebooks, offer a rare, visceral glimpse into the mechanics of state repression. Mohammadi, who is currently in critical condition, does not describe her suffering in abstract terms. Instead, she frames the Iranian prison system’s approach to dissent as a form of attrition.
“There is no hardship worse than illness combined with imprisonment,” Mohammadi wrote. “Authoritarian regimes do not always need an executioner’s rope. Sometimes, they simply wait for the human body to fail.”
Having reported from more than 30 countries on the intersections of diplomacy and conflict, I have seen how regimes use the clinic as a site of coercion. In the case of Mohammadi, the denial of healthcare has evolved from a byproduct of neglect into a primary tool of punishment. Her family has described this ongoing deprivation as a “slow execution,” a term that carries a heavy, literal weight given her current medical status.
The Weaponization of Medical Neglect
The extracts detail a devastating decline in Mohammadi’s health, exacerbated by the particularly system tasked with her detention. Over the years, she has battled a pulmonary embolism, seizures, multiple infections, and chronic chest pain. The memoir describes the “agonizing wait” for medical interventions that were often inadequate or arrived too late to prevent permanent damage.
This year, the crisis reached a breaking point. Reports indicate that Mohammadi’s weight plummeted by more than 20kg. In March, she was found unconscious in her cell following what appeared to be a heart attack. Despite urgent pleas from her family and a dedicated team of surgeons in Tehran, the Iranian authorities repeatedly denied her access to specialized care. She is currently being held at a small regional hospital in Zanjan, far from the specialists who know her medical history, and remains in critical condition.
The pattern of her treatment suggests a strategic use of health crises to break the spirit of high-profile prisoners. By alternating between temporary releases and violent rearrests, the state maintains a psychological grip on the prisoner, ensuring that any moment of reprieve is shadowed by the certainty of return.
Smuggling Truth from the Void
The journey of the memoir, titled A Woman Never Stops Fighting, is as perilous as the stories it contains. The text was not written in a single, secure setting but was cobbled together from fragments smuggled out of three different prisons. The process required a clandestine network of allies who risked their own safety to transport pages and notebooks.
The resilience of the text mirrors the resilience of the author. Guards frequently discovered and destroyed her writing materials, forcing Mohammadi to rewrite entire sections from memory. This cycle of creation and destruction became a metaphor for her activism: a constant effort to rebuild a truth that the state spent every waking hour trying to demolish.
Scheduled for publication in September, the memoir will provide a comprehensive account of her life, from the parental influences that shaped her political convictions to her emergence as a leading voice for women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty in Iran.
A Record of Systemic Resistance
Mohammadi’s legal history is a testament to the regime’s desperation to stop her. Arrested 14 times, she has been sentenced to a cumulative total of 44 years in prison and 154 lashes. Yet, the global community’s recognition of her work has only increased the pressure on Tehran. Her 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded while she was behind bars during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, transformed her from a domestic activist into a global symbol of resistance.
The following table summarizes the scale of the legal and physical toll taken on Mohammadi during her years of activism:
| Category | Detail/Metric |
|---|---|
| Total Arrests | 14 times |
| Cumulative Sentence | 44 years imprisonment |
| Corporal Punishment | 154 lashes |
| Major Health Events | Pulmonary embolism, heart attack (March), seizures |
| International Recognition | Nobel Peace Prize (2023) |
Her struggle is not an isolated incident but part of a broader crackdown on Iranian civil society. By targeting Mohammadi, the state sends a message to all activists: no amount of international prestige or global acclaim provides immunity from the cell or the hospital ward.
Disclaimer: This report contains information regarding medical conditions and legal sentencing in a correctional environment; it is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute medical or legal advice.
The immediate focus for human rights organizations and diplomatic missions now rests on her transfer to a facility capable of providing the critical care she requires. The next confirmed checkpoint will be the official medical update expected from her family’s legal representatives regarding her status in Zanjan and the potential for a medical parole that could allow her to receive treatment outside of prison walls.
Do you believe international pressure is effective in securing medical parole for political prisoners? Share your thoughts in the comments below or share this story to keep Narges Mohammadi’s plight in the public eye.
