🔗 Share this article Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Detained in Iran, According to Supporters Authorities in Iran have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” The arrest is said to have taken place at a commemorative event for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state. Details of the Detention Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was arrested alongside several other activists 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. Another prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also reportedly detained at the same event. There has been no official statement from Iranian authorities regarding the arrest 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 serve the remainder 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 heightened security clampdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have signed a statement 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 detained multiple times, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.” Mohammadi's Activities and Medical Struggles Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the gathered crowd without a head covering. She is said to have started chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man executed publicly by authorities in 2022. Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions related to 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 identified a bone lesion feared to be malignant, which was subsequently excised. A History of Activism and Incarceration Mohammadi’s release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time out of prison was extended, 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 international media appearances, including a demonstration in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been previously held. An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.