Authorities in Iran have allegedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, according to her foundation.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates at the gathering 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 city in the east of Mashhad. A fellow prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also reportedly detained at the same event.
There has been no official statement from Iranian authorities regarding the detention of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at danger of being sent back to jail. It is currently unclear if she will be sent back to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Context of the Memorial Ceremony
The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was discovered deceased recently. 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 more information.
“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 repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened 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, speaking to the gathered crowd without a head covering. She is said to have started 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 campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.
Her supporters state she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a bone lesion 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 international voices. She remained out 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 demonstration in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.
An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.
