🔗 Share this article Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi Allegedly Arrested in Iran, According to Supporters Iranian security forces have allegedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “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 arrested alongside 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 city in the east of Mashhad. Another 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 risk of being sent back to jail. It is not yet known if she will be immediately returned 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. 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 signed a statement 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 repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened 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 hijab or headscarf. She reportedly led chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man publicly hanged 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 supporters state she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was later removed. A History of Imprisonment and Advocacy Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free was extended, possibly due to pressure from activists and international voices. She stayed free 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 previously held. An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.