Iranian security forces have allegedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the gathering for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office the previous week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the eastern city of Mashhad. A fellow prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also taken into custody 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 risk of being sent back to jail. It is currently unclear if she will be sent back to complete the rest of her sentence.
Background to 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 tightening security crackdown, which has led to speculation. Over 80 lawyers have issued a demand calling for more information.
“Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” stated a international human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been detained multiple times, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
Mohammadi's Activities and Medical Struggles
Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to 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 related to her campaigning 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 identified a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.
Longstanding Activism and Incarceration
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 stayed free even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
She maintained her advocacy through public protests and international media appearances, including a protest in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been previously held.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.
