KABUL: Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been on a hunger strike since Monday, in protest against her continued detention and the conditions of her imprisonment. According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, she was arrested on December 22 in Mashhad and has had only one brief phone call with her brother. Judicial authorities have conditioned further communications on adherence to “security regulations,” which Mohammadi has rejected. Her health condition is concerning, given her history of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and back disc problems. Her family has warned that depriving her of medical treatment could threaten her life and constitutes a violation of international human rights standards. Reports also indicate that security pressures are affecting her family and close relatives. This hunger strike coincides with the ongoing detention of Sepida Qoliyan and Javad Alikordi, other detainees from the memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi. The Narges Mohammadi Foundation has called on international human rights organizations and the global community to take immediate action for the release of political prisoners and to ensure unrestricted access for journalists and UN reporters to affected families. Narges Mohammadi is one of the most prominent human rights activists in Iran, and her receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize has drawn global attention to the situation of political prisoners in the country. Her hunger strike once again highlights concerns regarding adherence to international human rights standards in Iran.
