Why was Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested? Iran escalates crackdown on dissent

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was arrested yesterday during a raid on a memorial service in the eastern city of Mashhad, in what supporters describe as a dramatic escalation in the state’s repression of dissent. Security forces stormed a mosque where mourners had gathered to commemorate Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent human rights lawyer recently found dead in his office. Mohammadi was detained alongside at least nine other well-known activists and civil society figures.

The raid transformed a solemn memorial into a scene of violence and chaos. Police and intelligence agents surrounded the mosque, dispersed the crowd with tear gas and beat attendees as they attempted to flee. Witnesses said the intervention was sudden and forceful, suggesting that authorities viewed the gathering not as a religious event but as a potential flashpoint for political mobilisation.

Mohammadi, 53, is among the most recognisable figures associated with the Woman Life Freedom movement that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022. She has spent much of the past two decades in and out of Tehran’s Evin prison, which is notorious for holding political prisoners. She was on medical furlough, having been released from prison last December because of serious health concerns. However, she was under constant pressure and surveillance. Her return to public activism appears to have hardened the resolve of security agencies to silence her once again.

The immediate trigger for the confrontation was the death of Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer known for defending political prisoners and activists. Mohammadi travelled from Tehran to Mashhad to attend his memorial as an act of solidarity. What began as a mourning ceremony quickly took on a political dimension.

Outside the mosque, Mohammadi climbed onto a car and addressed the crowd. She appeared without the mandatory headscarf, an act of civil disobedience that has come to define her public defiance. She led mourners in chanting the name of Majidreza Rahnavard, a 23-year-old protester who was publicly executed during the 2022 protests, which clearly irked the authorities.

Security forces responded almost immediately. According to eyewitness accounts, agents beat participants with batons, often striking their heads. Mohammadi was dragged by her hair, obviously to make the point that her head was not covered, and forced into a security vehicle. Taghi Rahmani, Mohammadi’s husband, said the arrests appeared to be an act of retaliation by an establishment under growing internal and external pressure. 

Local authorities offered a different explanation. Hasan Hosseini, the governor of Mashhad, said the detentions were preventive measures intended to protect the public from what he called norm-breaking slogans, a phrase commonly used to refer to chants such as death to the dictator.

Beyond the violence of the arrest itself, Mohammadi’s detention has raised concerns about her physical survival. She has suffered multiple heart attacks in recent years and recently underwent surgery to remove a bone lesion. These conditions were cited as the reason for her medical release from prison, yet they appear to have been disregarded in the decision to detain her again.

During her furlough, Mohammadi continued to campaign for the rights of political prisoners and for a peaceful transition towards electoral democracy. She took part in demonstrations outside Evin prison and spoke openly about threats she said she had received from security agents, including warnings of physical elimination if she did not cease her activism. Her re-arrest has lent new weight to those warnings.

Mohammadi’s arrest is seen as part of a broader strategy of repression following a turbulent year for Iran, which included a brief but intense conflict involving Israel and the US in June. Tehran seems keen to silence not only individual figures but also the networks that promote dissent. 

Mohammadi’s family has said they are deeply anxious about her fate. Her children, Ali and Kiana, have stated that they do not know which security body currently holds her, whether the police or the Revolutionary Guards, heightening fears of mistreatment behind closed doors.

The arrest has drawn swift international condemnation. The Norwegian Nobel Committee issued a statement expressing alarm at the reports from Mashhad and calling on Iranian authorities to act immediately. 

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions,” the five-member body said in the statement issued by its chairman. 

“The Committee stands in solidarity with Narges Mohammadi and all those in Iran who work peacefully for human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.”