Authorities in Iran have reportedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state.
Details of the Detention
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the gathering for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was found dead in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the city in the east of Mashhad. Another prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also taken into custody at the same event.
There has been no official statement from Iranian authorities regarding the arrest of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at risk of being returned to prison. It is currently unclear if she will be sent back to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Context of the Memorial Event
The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was discovered deceased recently. Authorities from Razavi Khorasan province stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 lawyers have issued a demand calling for greater transparency.
“Alikordi was a leading voice among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” said a New York-based human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been detained multiple times, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
Mohammadi's Activities and Medical Struggles
Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing the assembly without a hijab or headscarf. She is said to have started chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man publicly hanged by authorities in 2022.
Prior to her release last December, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions related to her campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.
Her advocates report she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be malignant, which was subsequently excised.
Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy
Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time free lengthened, possibly due to pressure from activists and western powers. She stayed free even during the brief conflict between Iran and Israel in June.
She continued her activism through public demonstrations and interviews with global press, including a protest in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.
