Houra Nikbakht, a political prisoner in Tehran’s Evin Prison, has been denied specialized medical care despite her worsening health. Recently, she was briefly transferred to a hospital but returned to prison without receiving adequate treatment.
On Thursday, August 8, 2024, Houra Nikbakht was taken to the prison clinic after experiencing body tremors, loss of speech, and severe physical distress. The prison doctor diagnosed her with a stroke.
She was then transferred to the Tajrish Hospital in Tehran, where doctors determined it was not a stroke but warned that she was at high risk of having one. They emphasized that any minor stress, anxiety, or excitement could trigger a stroke.
Despite the warning, Ms. Nikbakht was returned to Evin Prison by Friday afternoon while she urgently needed specialized medical treatment.
Houra Nikbakht, a resident of Tehran, was arrested on June 12, 2024, after appearing at the Third Branch of the Prosecutor’s Office in District 33 of Tehran.
She had disclosed her court summons on her X (formerly Twitter) account, revealing charges of insulting Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader and spreading propaganda against the regime. She was subsequently transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
Her trial took place on July 11, 2024, at the same branch. In early August 2024, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to one year on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”
Houra Nikbakht is a well-known women’s rights activist and the publisher and editor-in-chief of “Mashgh-e Barabari” (The Way of Equality), a publication focused on gender equality. She has been imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin Prison since June 12, 2024.
In addition to her activism, Nikbakht is a university lecturer and a prominent advocate for women’s rights in Iran.
