🔗 Share this article

Authorities in Iran have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” Her detention is said to have taken place at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state.

Details of the Arrest

Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the eastern city 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 danger of being returned to prison. It is currently unclear if she will be immediately returned to serve the remainder of her sentence.

Background to the Memorial Ceremony

The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province described his death as a heart attack. However, his death occurred amid a heightened security clampdown, which has led to speculation. Over 80 lawyers have signed a statement calling for greater transparency.

“Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” stated a New York-based human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”

The Activist's Activities and Medical Struggles

Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the assembly without a hijab or headscarf. 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 related to her campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.

Her supporters state she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.

A History of Activism and Incarceration

Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly due to pressure from activists and international voices. She remained out even during the brief conflict between Iran and Israel in June.

She maintained her advocacy through public protests and interviews with global press, including a protest in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been previously held.

An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.