Who is Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel laureate arrested once again by Iran?

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was arrested in Mashhad, Iran, on Friday while attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer, her foundation and supporters confirmed. The detention comes amid a heightened crackdown on intellectuals and activists and is likely to intensify Western pressure on Tehran.

The Narges Foundation stated that the 53-year-old was "violently detained... by security and police forces" in Mashhad, located approximately 680 kilometers northeast of the capital, while participating in a ceremony honoring human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was recently found dead under unclear circumstances.

Footage purportedly from the event showed Mohammadi without a headscarf (hijab) and leading attendees in chants, including the name of publicly executed activist Majidreza Rahnavard.

Mashhad city governor Hasan Hosseini confirmed to Iranian state television that prosecutors had ordered security officials to temporarily detain a number of participants due to the chanting of “norm-breaking” slogans, though he did not name Mohammadi or address claims of violent arrests.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee swiftly condemned the action, expressing deep concern and calling on Iranian authorities "to immediately clarify Mohammadi's whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions."

Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Centre for Human Rights in Iran, described the arrest as the "Islamic Republic's latest assault on the most basic human freedoms."

Who is Narges Mohammadi?

Mohammadi is a prominent figure in the anti-government protests sparked by the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating strict dress codes.

She has consistently defied the Iranian government both inside and outside prison walls. From Tehran's Evin Prison in 2022, Mohammadi detailed in a letter how women detained during the protests were being sexually and physically abused. She is also the author of the book, White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners, which documents her own and 12 other inmates' experiences of solitary confinement, a practice she vows to abolish.

The detention of the globally recognized advocate for women's rights and democracy occurs as Iran grapples with crippling sanctions and an ailing economy.

Mohammadi was on medical leave from prison, where she had been serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges of "collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government."

Her temporary release began in December 2024 following multiple health issues, including heart attacks and the removal of a bone lesion. Supporters had warned that her return to prison, where medical facilities are inadequate, could severely threaten her health.

Her husband, political activist Taghi Rahmani, lives in exile in Paris with their two children.

Analysts suggest arresting Mohammadi at this critical time may complicate Tehran's efforts to signal openness for renewed negotiations with the United States regarding its nuclear program.