🔗 Share this article Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Reportedly Detained in Iran, Per Supporters Authorities in Iran have reportedly arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” Her detention reportedly occurred at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters state. Details of the Detention Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds 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 the previous week. Her Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated the arrest occurred in the city in the east of Mashhad. A fellow prominent activist, Sepideh Gholian, was also taken into custody at the same event. There has been no immediate comment from Iranian authorities regarding the detention of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Supporters had warned for months that she was at risk of being returned to prison. It is not yet known 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 discovered deceased recently. Authorities from Razavi Khorasan province described his death as a heart attack. However, his death coincided with a heightened security clampdown, 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 international human rights organization. “Over the past several years, he had been detained multiple times, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.” The Activist's Activities and Health Struggles Video apparently from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing the assembly without a head covering. 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 related to her advocacy against capital punishment and Iran’s compulsory hijab rules. Her supporters state she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised. Longstanding Imprisonment and Advocacy Mohammadi’s sentence was supposed to be three-week suspension, but her time free lengthened, possibly due to pressure from activists and western powers. She stayed free even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. She maintained her advocacy through public protests and international media appearances, including a protest in front of Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had been formerly incarcerated. An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been jailed on thirteen occasions and convicted five times. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.