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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with a number of fellow advocates 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 eastern city 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 found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province described his death 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 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, harassed and threatened 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 is said to have started chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man publicly hanged by authorities in 2022.

Prior to her release last December, Mohammadi had been incarcerated from November 2021 on convictions stemming from her campaigning against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.

Her supporters state she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a bone lesion feared to be malignant, which was later removed.

Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy

Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time free lengthened, possibly due to pressure from activists and western powers. She stayed free 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 demonstration in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated.

An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.