Iran Detains Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi at Memorial

Narges Mohammadi

Iranian security forces on Friday “violently” detained 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi during a memorial ceremony for lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, her supporters said.

Mohammadi, who was on temporary leave from prison, was arrested along with several activists at the event in the eastern city of Mashhad. Her foundation said she had joined the ceremony for Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week.

Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, wrote that prominent activist Sepideh Gholian was also detained.

Alikordi, 45, had represented clients in sensitive political cases, including individuals detained during the nationwide protests that erupted in 2022. Rights groups have urged an investigation into his death, with some expressing suspicion of state involvement.

Footage shared online showed Mohammadi attending the ceremony without a headscarf, accompanied by supporters who chanted slogans such as “Long live Iran,” “We fight, we die, we accept no humiliation,” and “Death to the dictator.” Other videos showed her standing atop a vehicle and leading chants with a microphone.

Mohammadi, 53, has spent much of the past decade in prison and was last arrested in 2021. Her teenage twins accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 2023, as she has been barred from leaving Iran for years. Despite restrictions, she has remained outspoken, refusing to wear the mandatory headscarf, meeting activists during periods outside prison and warning of the eventual collapse of Iran’s ruling clerical system.