🔗 Share this article Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Arrested in Iran, According to Advocates Authorities in Iran have reportedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” Her detention reportedly occurred at a commemorative event for a human rights lawyer, her supporters state. Circumstances Surrounding the Detention Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was arrested alongside several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased in his office the previous week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the eastern city of Mashhad. Another prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also taken into custody 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 danger of being returned to prison. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned to complete the rest 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 stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a heightened security clampdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have issued a demand 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 repeatedly arrested, 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 assembly without a head covering. She reportedly led chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man executed publicly by authorities in 2022. Prior to her release last December, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions related to her campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law. Her advocates report she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a bone lesion feared to be malignant, 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 international voices. She remained out even during the brief conflict 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 formerly incarcerated. 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.