Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran | Iran

There are concerns about the health of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammedi after she was detained by Iranian security forces at a memorial for a human rights lawyer in the eastern city of Mashhad.

Muhammadi, 53, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was newly detained along with several other activists at a memorial service for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week.

His foundation said that Muhammedi, who was present at the ceremony, confirmed that his brother Mehdi had been arrested.

A member of his team, who spoke to the Guardian and asked to remain anonymous, told the Guardian: “His arrest earlier today appears to be directly linked to the statements he made in Mashhad following the suspicious death of Khosrow Alikordi. At his memorial, human rights activists gathered to protest what they saw as a suspicious and potentially state-related murder.”

Authorities in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province said Alikordi had a heart attack, but tight security measures that coincided with his death raised questions about his condition. More than 80 lawyers signed a petition demanding more information.

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

Mohammadi’s family members said security and police forces used tear gas and violence to disperse people gathered for Alikordi’s memorial service. Speaking from Paris, Mohammedi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, told the Guardian he was concerned not only for his wife but also for other rights defenders who have been arrested.

Rahmani described the arrest as part of an escalating strategy by Iranian authorities to suppress dissent. “This is a targeted attack on democracy and the right to freedom of expression,” he said.

Mohammadi’s children, Ali and Kiana, also said they were worried about their mother and other activists. “He only had surgery a year ago and many of the people arrested are also struggling with medical issues,” Ali told the Guardian. “She was arrested two hours ago and we still don’t know where my mother is.

“These people do not belong in prison.”

Footage from the memorial ceremony shows Mohammedi addressing the crowd at the microphone and chanting hymns in honor of Majidreza Rahnavard, who was publicly executed by Iranian authorities in 2022.

There was no immediate comment from Iran on Mohammedi’s detention, and it was unclear whether authorities would send him back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Supporters had warned for months that he was at risk of being imprisoned again.

Before her release last December, Mohammedi had been in prison since November 2021 on convictions related to her campaign against the death penalty and the obligation for women in Iran to wear the hijab.

His supporters say he suffered multiple heart attacks in prison before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022. Late last year doctors found a bone lesion they feared might be cancerous, which was later removed, his lawyer said.

“Under these conditions, his health could deteriorate very quickly,” Rahmani said. “The repression inside the mosque today was carried out with great brutality. Tear gas was fired, Narges and other activists were beaten even though they had serious health problems.”

Muhammadi’s sentence was due to be suspended for three weeks when he was released last year, but his release from prison was extended, likely due to pressure from activists and western powers. He remained free even during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

He continued his activism with public protests and international media appearances, including at one point demonstrating in front of the infamous Evin prison in Tehran where he was held.

Mohammadi’s Paris-based lawyer, Chirinne Ardakani, said: “I call for the immediate release of my client and all human rights activists arbitrarily detained with him. I also reiterate my client’s demand for truth and justice to be established regarding the suspicious circumstances surrounding Alikordi’s death, in which we have reason to believe that the state bears responsibility.”

While Muhammadi’s family said they did not know who was in custody of her, Ali added: “My mother could be in the custody of the Revolutionary Guards, the security forces or the police. We don’t know anything.”

Rahmani said: “We call on the Western media to follow the events in Iran and please continue to report.”

Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report