German-Iranian Woman Ordered Back to Tehran Jail After Furlough

A German-Iranian woman has been sent back to prison in Iran after several weeks of medical leave despite concerns over her health, her daughter says.

Nahid Taghavi, 69, was ordered back to Tehran’s Evin prison "arbitrarily and for no clear reason" on the evening of February 28, her daughter Mariam Claren said in a statement on the social media platform X.

BREAKING: Despite being on a legal medical leave, my mother #NahidTaghavi was forced to return to Evin prison. #freenahid pic.twitter.com/GZw3OqXCx4

— Mariam Claren #FreeNahid (@mariam_claren) February 29, 2024

Taghavi was arrested in Iran in 2020 on national security charges and sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison in August 2021.

She was granted a medical furlough with an electronic ankle bracelet on January 9.

"Necessary medical care was almost not possible during this time, since her movements were restricted to 1,000 metres from her apartment," her daughter said.

Taghavi has developed "a painful eye disease in the last weeks, which must be strictly monitored by doctors," she said. 

In June, fellow prisoner and prominent rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, said that Taghavi’s long spell in solitary confinement worsened an existing spinal disc condition.

Mohammadi wrote on Instagram that Taghavi was also suffering from cervical disc problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Taghavi was allowed brief medical leave in 2022, but she was returned to prison before she could recover, according to her family.

Western governments and rights groups have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.