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Narges Mohammadi arrested during activist memorial
Iranian security forces detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi and other activists on Saturday in the eastern city of Mashhad, her foundation reported. The arrest occurred during a ceremony honoring Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer found dead in his office last week under suspicious circumstances.
Violent detention sparks international condemnation
The Narges Foundation described Mohammadi's arrest as violent. Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told BBC Persian that witnesses saw authorities forcefully detain her. Rahmani called the action a violation of human rights and an act of retaliation by Iranian authorities.
The Nobel Committee expressed deep concern, demanding Iranian officials immediately disclose Mohammadi's whereabouts, guarantee her safety, and release her unconditionally. Iran has not responded to the allegations.
Recent threats and defiance
Mohammadi, 53, has faced escalating pressure from Iranian authorities. In a recent Time magazine article, she accused the state of tightening control over public and private life through surveillance, censorship, and violence. The Nobel Committee revealed she had received indirect warnings from regime agents, urging her to cease all activism and international advocacy.
"Their peace is disrupted by surveillance, censorship, arbitrary arrest, torture, and the constant threat of violence."
Narges Mohammadi, Time magazine
History of persecution
Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long fight against female oppression and human rights abuses in Iran. She has been arrested 13 times, sentenced to over 36 years in prison, and received 154 lashes, according to her foundation.
In December 2024, she was granted a three-week medical release from Tehran's Evin prison, where she had been held since 2021. She was expected to return to prison soon to complete multiple sentences.
Broader crackdown on dissent
Mohammadi's arrest follows a pattern of intensified repression, particularly after Iran's June ceasefire with Israel. Other activists detained at the Mashhad memorial reportedly chanted slogans such as "death to the dictator" and "long live Iran."
Norway-based Iran Human Rights has called for an independent investigation into Alikordi's death, citing suspicious circumstances. The group warned that the regime's crackdown on dissent has grown more severe in recent months.
