Supporters of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi say she has been arrested while attending a memorial ceremony in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.
The Narges Foundation said on Friday that Mohammadi, 53, was arrested during an event honouring a human rights lawyer who recently died in unclear circumstances.
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Iranian authorities have not commented on her reported detention, and it remains uncertain whether she will be returned to prison to complete a previous sentence.
The arrest comes amid a broader clampdown on activists and civil society figures as Iran faces sanctions, economic pressures and heightened regional tensions.
Her supporters described Mohammadi as having been “violently detained earlier today by security and police forces”, adding that several other activists were also taken into custody.
They had gathered to commemorate Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old lawyer and rights advocate who was found dead in his office this month. Local officials said he suffered a heart attack, though more than 80 lawyers have signed a statement seeking further clarification.
“The Narges Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained individuals who were attending a memorial ceremony to pay their respects and demonstrate solidarity,” the group said. “Their arrest constitutes a serious violation of fundamental freedoms.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee called for the immediate release of Mohammadi after what it called her “brutal” arrest in Iran.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions,” the committee said.
Regular protests
Footage circulating online appeared to show Mohammadi addressing the crowd without a headscarf and leading chants referencing Majidreza Rahnavard, who was executed in public in 2022.
Mohammadi was granted temporary medical leave from prison in December 2024 after suffering longstanding health problems.
Although the leave was initially limited to three weeks, it was extended as she underwent treatment, including surgery for a bone lesion and ongoing cardiac care.
The Free Narges Coalition said earlier this year that doctors advised she should remain on medical leave for at least six more months.
“Mohammadi’s doctors recently prescribed an extension of her medical leave … and specialised cardiac care,” the group said, warning that a return to prison “could severely worsen her physical well-being”.
An engineer by training, Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times and convicted in five, receiving cumulative sentences exceeding 30 years. Her most recent imprisonment began in 2021 after she attended a memorial for a protester killed during nationwide demonstrations.