Iranian security forces have violently arrested Nobel Peace Prize winner and women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi, her foundation has said.
The Narges Foundation reported that her brother confirmed Ms. Mohammadi was detained in the eastern city of Mashhad, along with other activists. They have called for the immediate release of the 53-year-old and the detained activists. Iranian authorities have not commented on the incident.
Ms. Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her activism against female oppression in Iran and promoting human rights.
In December 2024, she was granted a temporary release from jail on medical grounds after nearly three years in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Her latest arrest occurred as she attended a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer found dead in suspicious circumstances. The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights has called for an independent inquiry into his death.
Eyewitness reports suggest that several activists shouted slogans against the government during the memorial, leading to a crackdown by security forces. Taghi Rahmani, Ms. Mohammadi's husband, condemned the violent nature of her arrest and labeled it as an act of revenge by the authorities against dissidents.
This incident points to an increase in government repression, as Ms. Mohammadi herself had accused Iranian authorities of intensifying these measures following a ceasefire with Israel earlier this year. In a recent article for Time magazine, she described how the Iranian state controls aspects of personal and public life through surveillance and censorship.
Ms. Mohammadi has faced significant persecution, including multiple arrests and sentences totaling 36 years in prison and 154 lashes, as documented by her foundation. Despite the threats and risks, she has remained defiant in her activism, refusing to wear the mandatory headscarf and continuing to speak out for women's rights in Iran.
