Authorities in Iran have reportedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “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 Detention
Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was arrested alongside several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was found dead 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 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 returned to prison. It is currently unclear 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 discovered deceased recently. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province described his death as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 lawyers have signed a statement calling for greater transparency.
“Alikordi was a leading voice among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” stated a international human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, 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, addressing 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 incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions related to her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.
Her advocates report she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.
Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy
Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a 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 maintained her advocacy through public protests and international media appearances, including a demonstration in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been previously held.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.
