Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi Allegedly Arrested in Iran, According to Advocates
Authorities in Iran have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as โviolent.โ Her detention reportedly occurred at a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer, her supporters state.
Details of the Detention
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was arrested alongside 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. Another prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also reportedly detained at the same event.
There has been no immediate comment from Iranian authorities regarding the detention of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Supporters had warned for months that she was at danger of being sent back to jail. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Background to 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 tightening security crackdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have issued a demand calling for greater transparency.
โAlikordi was a leading voice among Iranโs community of human rights defenders,โ said a international human rights organization. โOver the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.โ
The Activist's Recent Actions and Health Struggles
Video apparently 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 executed publicly by authorities in 2022.
Prior to her release last December, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions stemming from her advocacy against capital punishment and Iranโs mandatory hijab law.
Her supporters state 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
Mohammadiโs sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time out of prison was extended, possibly due to pressure from activists and international voices. She stayed free even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
She continued her activism through public demonstrations and interviews with global press, including a demonstration in front of Tehranโs infamous Evin prison, where she had been previously held.
An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.
