Iran Arrests Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi, Supporters Say

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran arrested Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges MuhammadiThis is what his supporters said on Friday.

A foundation established in his name said he was detained in Mashhad, about 680 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of the capital Tehran, while attending a memorial service for a human rights lawyer recently found dead under unclear circumstances.

There was no statement from Iran regarding the detention of 53-year-old Mohammadi. It was unclear whether authorities would immediately send him back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

But his arrest comes at a time when Iran is cracking down on intellectuals and others as Tehran grapples with sanctions, an ailing economy and fears of a new war with Israel. Mohammedi’s arrest could lead to increased pressure from the West at a time when Iran has repeatedly signaled it wants new talks with the United States over its nuclear program, something that has not yet happened.

On Friday, his supporters said he was “violently detained by security and police forces earlier today.” They said other activists were also arrested at a ceremony held in honor of Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights defender living in Mashhad.

“The Narges Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained individuals who attended the commemoration ceremony to pay their respects and show solidarity,” the statement said. “Their detention is a serious violation of fundamental freedoms.”

Alikordi was found dead in his office earlier this month, and authorities in Razavi Khorasan described his death as a heart attack. However, the strict security measures that coincided with his death raised questions. More than 80 lawyers signed a petition demanding more information.

“Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders,” the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said in a statement Thursday. “He has been repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces over the past few years.”

Footage purportedly from the ceremony shows Muhammadi addressing the gathered crowd with a microphone without wearing a headscarf or headscarf. He started chanting the name Majidreza Rahnavard to the crowd. A man hanged by authorities from a crane during a public execution in 2022.

In the images published by her foundation, she is seen without a headscarf and surrounded by a large crowd.

Supporters had warned for months that Muhammadi was at risk of being imprisoned again later. took leave in December 2024 due to medical concerns.

Although it was only supposed to last three weeks, Mohammedi’s time out of prison was likely extended as activists and Western powers pressured Iran to release him. He even stayed out during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

Mohammadi continued his activism through public protests and international media coverage; At one point he even demonstrated outside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where he was held.

Mohammedi was imprisoned for 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against the Iranian government. He also supported the protests launched across the country. 2022 death of Mahsa AminiWe saw women openly defying the government by not wearing headscarves.

His supporters say Muhammadi suffered multiple heart attacks while in prison before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022. His lawyer explained that in late 2024, doctors found a bone lesion they feared might be cancerous, which was later removed.

“Mohammadi’s doctors recently recommended that his medical leave be extended for at least another six months to allow for comprehensive and regular medical examinations, including monitoring of the bone lesion removed from his leg in November, physiotherapy sessions to recover from surgery, and specialized heart care,” the Free Narges Coalition said in a statement in late February 2025.

“The medical team overseeing Mohammadi’s health warned that returning him to prison – especially under stressful detention conditions and without adequate medical facilities – could seriously deteriorate his physical health.”

Muhammedi, who trained as an engineer, was imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. He was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison in total. His latest incarceration began in 2021, when he was detained after attending a memorial service for a murdered person. protests across the country.