[IranAlert] Health Conditions of Imprisoned Iranian Woman Activist Worsen

This is the NUFDI IranAlert—concise, timely analysis offering unique insights into breaking news and major developments inside Iran. Each short brief provides a fresh angle, highlighting trends, reactions, and overlooked internal dynamics shaping Iran and the Islamic Republic.

The mother of imprisoned Iranian activist Fatemeh Sepehri has raised alarm over her worsening health conditions.

The 61-year-old Sepehri has been in prison since September 2022 for her activism.

She has been repeatedly denied access to medical services. Under immense psychological pressure, she has also been denied visitors and kept in a ward with poor hygiene and no air conditioning.

In April 2023, Sepehri was sentenced to 18 years in prison for “propaganda against the regime, collaborating with hostile states, and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the founder of Islamic Republic Ruhollah Khomeini”. The broad charges are often used against dissidents for speaking up against oppression in Iran and giving interviews to diaspora TV channels.

A staunch voice against the regime, Sepehri became a household name in Iran in July 2019 after calling for the removal of Ali Khamenei from power and the dismantlement of the Islamic Republic in its entirety in a statement signed by 14 activists. She was immediately arrested and jailed for nine months for her defiance.