Iran’s 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been arrested, along with several other human rights activists during a memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, the arrest took place on December 11, during an event marking the seventh day after the death of Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent lawyer and human rights advocate.
A large crowd attended the ceremony, which drew numerous well-known activists, former political prisoners, and families seeking justice for victims of state violence.
A post on Mohammadi’s account on X stated that she was “violently arrested by security and law enforcement agents.” Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, who lives in France, confirmed that “Narges Mohammadi, Sepideh Gholian, and several others” were detained at the gathering.
Clashes With Security Forces
Videos circulated on social media show a large turnout, with participants chanting slogans critical of the Islamic Republic. In one widely shared clip, Mohammadi and fellow activist Sepideh Gholian stand atop a vehicle, leading the crowd in chants such as “Long live Iran!”
Other footage shows security forces clashing with attendees, with officers attacking participants as protesters chant slogans against the authorities.
Mashhad officials later confirmed that several civil activists had been arrested. According to Hasan Hosseini, the city governor of Mashhad, the activists' detention was temporary and ordered by the prosecutor’s office due to what he described as “norm-breaking slogans.” He claimed those detained were placed “under protection” and that the arrests were carried out “for their own safety.”
Earlier reports indicated that several other prominent figures, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, Aliyeh Motallebzadeh, and Hasti Amiri, were also present at the memorial.
Narges Mohammadi, 53, has spent much of the past decade behind bars. She was serving a combined sentence of 13 years and 9 months before being released on medical grounds in early December 2024. At the time of her new arrest, she was reportedly undergoing treatment.
Since her release, Mohammadi had resumed her human rights work, meeting with civil activists across Iran and taking part in international discussions, including virtual conferences with foreign audiences.
