Authorities in Iran have reportedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, according to her foundation.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates at the gathering 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 city in the east of Mashhad. A fellow prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also taken into custody 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 risk of being returned to prison. It is currently unclear if she will be immediately returned to complete the rest of her sentence.
Background to the Memorial Event
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 heightened security clampdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have signed a statement calling for greater transparency.
“Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” said 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.”
The Activist'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 reportedly led chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man publicly hanged by authorities in 2022.
Prior to her release last December, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions related to her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.
Her advocates report she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised.
Longstanding 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 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 protest in front of Tehran’s notorious 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 sentenced to over 30 years in prison.
