Iranian human rights activist and political detainee Narges Mohammadi has been denied medical treatment for a second time due to her refusal to wear an Islamic head scarf, or hijab.
The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate's official Instagram page reported on October 30 that she was called to the Evin prison office for a potential transfer to undergo crucial medical examinations, including lung and heart tests. However, authorities then forbade her from leaving.
Reports have emerged that Mohammadi, along with fellow inmates, staged a protest on the prison premises, demanding that she receive medical attention immediately.
On October 14, prison administrators also obstructed Mohammadi from accessing hospital care, citing her noncompliance with the mandatory hijab rule.
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 consistently 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.
Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times, and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes for her work on campaigns for freedom of expression and women's rights.
Her Instagram post on October 30 highlighted: "The prosecutor has explicitly instructed that she should not be dispatched to any medical facility without adhering to the head-scarf mandate."
Drawing parallels to the tragic cases of Mahsa Amini and Armita Garavand, both of whom died after incidents with morality police over alleged hijab infractions, Mohammadi emphasized her unwillingness to conform, placing the onus of her well-being squarely on the "misogynistic religious authoritarian regime."
Mohammadi is currently serving multiple sentences in Tehran's Evin prison amounting to about 12 years' imprisonment -- she has not seen her family in more than eight years -- on charges that include spreading propaganda against the state.