🔗 Share this article Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Allegedly 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.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a commemorative event for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation. Details of the Arrest Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was arrested alongside a number of fellow advocates 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 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 risk 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. Authorities from Razavi Khorasan province stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a heightened security clampdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 lawyers have issued a demand calling for more information. “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 repeatedly arrested, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.” The Activist's Recent Actions and Health Struggles Footage purportedly 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 executed publicly by authorities in 2022. Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions stemming from her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law. Her advocates report she suffered multiple heart attacks 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. 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 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 formerly incarcerated. An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.