Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Arrested in Iran, According to Supporters
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 granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, confirmed 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. Supporters had warned for months that she was at risk of being sent back to jail. It is not yet known 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 found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death occurred amid a heightened security clampdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 lawyers have issued a demand calling for greater transparency.
“Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” said a New York-based human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”
Mohammadi's Activities and Health 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 stemming from her campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.
Her supporters state she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be malignant, which was subsequently excised.
A History of Activism and Incarceration
Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time out of prison was extended, 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 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 given over 30 years in prison.
