🔗 Share this article Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Allegedly Arrested in Iran, Per Advocates Authorities in Iran have reportedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a manner described as “violent.” Her detention is said to have taken place at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, according to her foundation. Details of the Detention Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates at the gathering for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was found dead in his office last week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, confirmed 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 arrest 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 sent back to complete the rest of her sentence. Context of the Memorial Ceremony The ceremony was for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province stated the cause as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a tightening security crackdown, which has raised questions. More than eighty lawyers have issued a demand 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 Recent Actions and Medical Struggles Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing the assembly 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 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 emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a bone lesion feared to be malignant, which was subsequently excised. A History of Imprisonment and Advocacy Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time out of prison was extended, possibly due to pressure from activists and international voices. She remained out even during the brief conflict 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 imprisoned 13 times and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.