🔗 Share this article Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Arrested in Iran, According to Supporters Iranian security forces have reportedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists 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 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. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at danger of being returned to prison. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned to serve the remainder of her sentence. Context of the Memorial Ceremony The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was discovered deceased recently. Authorities from Razavi Khorasan province described his death as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 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, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.” Mohammadi's Recent Actions 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 imprisoned since 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 identified a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised. A History of Imprisonment and Advocacy Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time free was extended, 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 infamous Evin prison, where she had been previously held. An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.