Iranian security forces have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer, her supporters state.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds 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. Another prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also reportedly detained 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 sent back to jail. 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 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 signed a statement 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, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
Mohammadi's Recent Actions and Health Struggles
Video apparently 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 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 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 suspicious bone growth feared to be malignant, which was later removed.
Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy
Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free was extended, possibly due to pressure from 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 protest in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been previously held.
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.
