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 memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the gathering for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was found dead in his office the previous week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, confirmed 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. Supporters had warned for months that she was at risk of being sent back to jail. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned to complete the rest of her sentence.
Context of the Memorial Ceremony
The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead earlier this month. Authorities from 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 issued a demand calling for more information.
“Alikordi was a prominent figure 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.”
The Activist's Activities and Health Struggles
Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the gathered crowd 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 medical leave, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions related to her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.
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 malignant, which was later removed.
A History of 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 western powers. She remained out even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
She maintained her advocacy through public demonstrations and interviews with global press, including a protest in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.
An engineer by training, 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.
