Iran has arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, her supporters confirmed Friday, according to the Associated Press.
The Narges Foundation reported that Mohammadi, 53, was detained while attending a memorial for a human rights lawyer who was recently found dead under disputed circumstances.
There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities regarding her detention, nor clarity on whether she will be returned to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Supporters described Mohammadi as having been “violently detained earlier today by security and police forces.” They added that other activists present at the memorial were also arrested.
“The Narges Foundation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained individuals who were attending a memorial ceremony to pay their respects and demonstrate solidarity,” the organization said. “Their arrest constitutes a serious violation of fundamental freedoms.”
Mohammadi had been on medical furlough since December 2024, initially granted for three weeks but extended amid pressure from activists and Western governments. She remained free even during the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel. Despite her medical leave, Mohammadi continued her activism, staging public protests and appearing in international media. At one point, she demonstrated outside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she had previously been held.
She had been serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against the government. Mohammadi also supported the nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which saw women openly defy the regime by refusing to wear the hijab.
Her health has been a major concern. Supporters say she suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022. In late 2024, her lawyer revealed doctors had discovered a bone lesion feared to be cancerous, which was later removed.
Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mohammadi, claiming the move was biased and amounted to a “politicization” of the prize.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)