Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Detained in Iran, According to Advocates

Iranian security forces 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 commemorative event for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds 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, 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 arrest of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Supporters had warned for months that she was at risk of being returned to prison. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned to complete the rest of her sentence.

Context of the Memorial Event

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 heightened security clampdown, which has raised questions. 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,” 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.”

The Activist's Recent Actions and Health Struggles

Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the gathered crowd 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 medical leave, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions related to 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 discovered a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised.

Longstanding Activism and Incarceration

Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free 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 international media appearances, including a protest in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.

An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.