Iranian security forces have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, according to her foundation.
Details of the Arrest
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office the previous week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, confirmed the arrest occurred in the eastern city of Mashhad. A fellow prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also reportedly detained at the same event.
There has been no immediate comment from Iranian authorities regarding the arrest of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at danger of being returned to prison. It is currently unclear if she will be immediately returned to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Context of the Memorial Event
The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a heightened security clampdown, which has raised questions. More than eighty lawyers have issued a demand calling for more information.
“Alikordi was a leading voice among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” stated a international human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
The Activist's Recent Actions and Health Struggles
Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing the gathered crowd without a head covering. She reportedly led chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man executed publicly by authorities in 2022.
Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions stemming from her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.
Her advocates report she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.
Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy
Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly due to calls by activists and western powers. She remained out even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
She maintained her advocacy through public protests and international media appearances, including a protest in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.
