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Authorities in Iran have reportedly arrested 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 human rights lawyer, according to her foundation.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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, confirmed 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 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 currently unclear if she will be immediately returned to complete the rest of her sentence.

Background to the Memorial Ceremony

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 tightening security crackdown, which has led to speculation. More than eighty lawyers have signed a statement calling for greater transparency.

“Alikordi was a prominent figure 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, subjected to intimidation by security and judicial forces|state authorities.”

The Activist's Recent Actions and Medical Struggles

Footage purportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi at a microphone, addressing the assembly 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 advocates report she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned and underwent an urgent operation in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was subsequently excised.

A History of 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 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 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 sentenced to over 30 years in prison.