Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi detained at memorial in Iran

Iranian rights groups say Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and several other activists were detained by security forces during a memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, the prominent human rights defender was arrested on December 12 while attending the seventh-day mourning ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, Caliber.Az reports via Iran International.

Alikordi, a former political prisoner who represented detained protesters, was found dead under unclear circumstances in his office last week. Lawyers and activists have questioned the official claim of cardiac arrest, suggesting possible involvement of security forces.

The foundation reported that the arrests at the ceremony were carried out violently by police and security personnel. Among those detained were activists Sepideh Gholian, Hasti Amiri, Pouran Nazemi, and Alieh Motalebzadeh, along with several other participants. Witnesses also described the presence of plainclothes agents who detained additional lawyers and civil society members.

Mohammadi, born on April 21, 1972, in Zanjan, has worked as a journalist since 1996 and is one of Iran’s most prominent human rights advocates. In 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to defend human rights and women’s rights in Iran.

By Sabina Mammadli