Authorities in Iran have reportedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” Her detention reportedly occurred at a commemorative event for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
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 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 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 not yet known 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 described his death as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have signed a statement calling for more information.
“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 detained multiple times, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
The Activist's Recent Actions and Medical Struggles
Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing 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 release last December, 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 discovered a bone lesion feared to be malignant, which was later removed.
A History of Imprisonment and Advocacy
Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free lengthened, possibly due to calls by activists and international voices. She stayed free 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 demonstration in front of Tehran’s notorious 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.
