Authorities in Iran have reportedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” Her detention is said to have taken place at a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.
Details of the Detention
Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was arrested alongside a number of fellow advocates at the gathering for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the city in the east of Mashhad. A fellow 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. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at risk of being returned to prison. It is currently unclear if she will be sent back to serve the remainder 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 coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has raised questions. More than eighty 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 detained multiple times, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
Mohammadi's Activities and Medical Struggles
Footage purportedly 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 publicly hanged by authorities in 2022.
Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions stemming from her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.
Her supporters state 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.
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 pressure from activists and international voices. 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 previously held.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.
