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Authorities in Iran have allegedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was arrested alongside several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was found dead in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated 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 detention of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Advocates had cautioned for months that she was at danger 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 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 led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have signed a statement calling for more information.

“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 Medical Struggles

Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the gathered crowd without a head covering. She is said to have started chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man executed publicly by authorities in 2022.

Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions related to her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules.

Her supporters state she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.

A History of Activism and Incarceration

Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly due to calls by activists and international voices. She stayed free even during the 12-day war 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 formerly incarcerated.

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.