Iran: 2023 Nobel Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi 'Violenety' Arrested

Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was “violently” arrested by Iranian security forces on Friday. She was detained at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer who died earlier this month, according to her supporters.

Mohammadi was reportedly granted temporary leave from prison in December 2024. She was arrested along with several other activists at the ceremony for lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week.

Forty-five-year-old Alikordi had defended clients in sensitive cases, including people arrested during the crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted in 2022.

Alikordi's body was discovered on 5 December, with rights groups calling for a probe into his death. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said there was “very serious suspicion of a state murder”.

Mohammadi has accused the Iranian authorities of intensifying pressure on civil society since the June ceasefire with Israel, saying that repression of activists, journalists, and critics has deepened.

Who Is Narges Mohammadi?

Born in Zanjan, she pursued a degree in physics at Imam Khomeini International University, distinguishing herself as an advocate for women’s rights. Mohammadi became associated with the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran, founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. In 2011, she was first arrested for aiding incarcerated activists. Following her release on bail in 2013, she campaigned against the death penalty and was re-arrested in 2015, continuing her activism even within prison walls.

Mohammadi’s activism began in the 1990s during her time as a physics student, and she continued her advocacy work even after facing multiple imprisonments. She campaigned against the death penalty, exposing the regime’s use of torture and sexual violence against political prisoners, particularly women.

Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi remained a leader, supporting and organising solidarity actions among her fellow inmates and continuing her advocacy through various means, including writing articles published in international media outlets.