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Iranian security forces have allegedly detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in a what supporters call “violent.” The arrest reportedly occurred at a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.

Details of the Detention

Mohammadi, who was released on a temporary basis from prison on health reasons in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi. Alikordi was discovered deceased 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 reportedly detained at the same event.

There has been no immediate comment from Iranian authorities regarding the arrest of the 53-year-old Mohammadi. Advocates had cautioned 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 found dead earlier this month. Officials in Razavi Khorasan province described his death as a heart attack. However, his death occurred amid a heightened security clampdown, which has raised questions. Over 80 lawyers have issued a demand calling for greater transparency.

“Alikordi was a leading voice 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 Health Struggles

Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, speaking to the gathered crowd without a hijab or headscarf. She is said to have started chants of the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man executed publicly 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 advocates report she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had identified a suspicious bone growth feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised.

Longstanding Activism and Incarceration

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 maintained her advocacy 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 trained engineer, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and found guilty in five cases. In total, she has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison.