Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was awarded the prestigious honour in 2023 for her work defending women’s rights and human rights in Iran, has been “violently” detained, according to her supporters.
She was detained by Iranian authorities in the city of Mashhad, some 680 kilometres (420 miles) northeast of the capital, Tehran, on Friday, a foundation in her name said.
Ms Mohammadi, 53, was attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer who was recently found dead under unclear circumstances.
A local official reportedly confirmed arrests were made but did not specifically mention Ms Mohammadi.
It was not immediately clear whether authorities would return her to prison, where she had been serving a sentence before she was temporarily released in December 2024 for medical purposes.
Mohammadi’s detention comes amid Iran’s crackdown on intellectuals and activists, as Tehran grapples with sanctions, a weakening economy, and fears of a renewed conflict with Israel.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s detention may also intensify Western pressure at a time when Iran has repeatedly indicated interest in new negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, which have not yet taken place.
‘Deeply concerned’
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, the body that awards the Nobel Peace Prize, said it was “deeply concerned” by Mohammadi’s arrest.
The committee “calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions,” it said in a statement.
She was arrested by police and security forces alongside other activists while attending a ceremony honouring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad.
Mr Alikordi was found dead in his office earlier this month, reportedly from a heart attack. His death has prompted over 80 lawyers to demand more information.
Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said what happened on Friday “is the Islamic Republic’s latest assault on the most basic human freedoms – where even mourning a slain lawyer becomes a punishable act”.
Footage reportedly from the ceremony showed Mohammadi speaking into a microphone, addressing the crowd without wearing a hijab or headscarf.
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She led the crowd in chants of Majidreza Rahnavard’s name, a man executed publicly by hanging from a crane in 2022.
Video released by her foundation showed her without a hijab, standing among a large crowd.
Hasan Hosseini, the city governor of Mashhad, said prosecutors ordered the temporary detention of some ceremony participants after “norm-breaking” chants, calling the move preventive to protect attendees.
Video footage reportedly captured additional anti-government chants, though Hosseini did not address claims of violence during the arrests.
Health fears
Supporters had long warned that Mohammadi could be returned to prison after her December 2024 medical furlough, initially set for three weeks but extended, possibly due to activist and international pressure.
She continued her activism during this period, including protests and media appearances, even outside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
Mohammadi had been serving nearly 14 years for charges including collusion against state security and propaganda, and for supporting protests following Mahsa Amini‘s 2022 death.
Medical experts warned that returning her to prison, especially under stressful conditions without proper care, could seriously harm her health.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times, convicted five times, and sentenced to over 30 years in total.
Her most recent detention began in 2021 after attending a memorial for a protest victim.
