🔗 Share this article Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Allegedly Arrested in Iran, According to Supporters Iranian security forces have allegedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, according to her foundation. Details of the Arrest Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was arrested alongside several other activists 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 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. Supporters had warned for months that she was at danger of being sent back to jail. It is currently unclear 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 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 New York-based 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 Activities 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 executed publicly by authorities in 2022. Prior to her release last December, 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 malignant, which was later removed. A History of Imprisonment and Advocacy Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free lengthened, possibly due to pressure from activists and international voices. She remained out even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. She continued her activism through public demonstrations 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 found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.