Iran has arrested 53-year-old human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi while she was attending a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer who was recently found dead under suspicious circumstances.
On 12 December 2025 GMT+7, foreign news agencies reported that Iranian authorities detained 53-year-old human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi during her participation in a memorial for a human rights lawyer recently found dead under suspicious circumstances.
The Narges Foundation stated that Mohammadi was detained in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, about 680 kilometers from Tehran, while attending a memorial for Khosrow Ali-Kordi, a 46-year-old human rights lawyer who was found dead in his office earlier this month.
Reports say that, so far, Iranian authorities have not officially commented on Mohammadi's detention, and it remains unclear whether she will be returned to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Sources indicate that this arrest occurred amid an intensified crackdown on intellectuals and activists, as Iran faces pressure from sanctions, a deteriorating economy, and concerns over a potential escalation in conflict with Israel.
Mohammadi's supporters claim she was harshly detained by security forces and police, with other activists also arrested. The Narges Foundation issued a statement demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, calling the arrests a severe violation of basic freedoms.
Previously, Mohammadi was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison on charges of conspiring to undermine state security and spreading anti-government propaganda. She was granted temporary furlough for health reasons in December 2024 GMT+7, initially for three weeks but later extended. Nevertheless, she has continued her social activism, including public protests, interviews with international media, and demonstrations outside the prison where she was formerly held.
. Source: BBC