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Authorities in Iran have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a commemorative event for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the gathering 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 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 arrest 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 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. 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 signed a statement 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 repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”

The Activist's Activities and Medical Struggles

Video apparently 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 publicly hanged by authorities in 2022.

Prior to her medical leave, Mohammadi had been imprisoned since November 2021 on convictions stemming from her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s mandatory hijab law.

Her advocates report she suffered several cardiac episodes while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation 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 release was initially meant as a three-week suspension, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly due to calls by activists and western powers. She remained out even during the brief conflict between Iran and Israel in June.

She continued her activism through public protests and interviews with global press, including a protest in front of Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where she had been previously held.

An trained engineer, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been given over 30 years in prison.