Rights groups condemn reported re-arrest of Nobel laureate Mohammadi in Iran

Mohammadi’s attorney says rights activist was arrested after denouncing suspicious death of lawyer at a memorial ceremony; EU demands release of all those ‘unjustly arrested’

International human rights groups on Saturday condemned the reported re-arrest of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran, with the Nobel committee calling on Iranian authorities to immediately clarify her whereabouts.

Mohammadi’s French lawyer Chirine Ardakani said on X that the human rights activist was arrested on Friday after denouncing the suspicious death of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi at his memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Iranian authorities have not yet confirmed her arrest. Mashhad’s city governor Hasan Hosseini told Iranian state television on Friday that prosecutors had ordered the temporary detention of several participants at Alikordi’s ceremony, but did not name Mohammadi.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee called on Iranian authorities “to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions.”

The European Union also demanded that Mohammadi be freed, describing her arrest as “deeply concerning.”

“The EU urges Iranian authorities to release Ms. Mohammadi, taking also into account her fragile health condition, as well as all those unjustly arrested in the exercise of their freedom of expression,” said Anouar El Anouni, a spokesman for the bloc’s diplomatic service.

The spokesman added that “Mohammadi, who already had to endure years in prison because of her advocacy, bravely continues to use her voice to defend human dignity and the fundamental rights of Iranians, including freedom of expression, which must be respected at all times.”

A video purportedly showing Mohammadi, 53, without the head covering that Iranian women are required to wear, standing on a car with a microphone and chanting “Long Live Iran” in front of a crowd, has gone viral on social media.

Her lawyer, Ardakani, said Mohammadi was beaten before her arrest, and social media reports say her whereabouts are unknown.

Reporters Without Borders said four journalists and other participants were also arrested at the memorial for human rights lawyer Alikordi, who was found dead in his office on December 5.

Authorities gave the cause of his death as a heart attack, but rights groups have called for an investigation into his death.

Hasan Hosseini said in the interview with state TV that prosecutors had ordered detentions at his ceremony after what authorities have described as “norm‑breaking” slogans.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the crowd also chanted “death to the dictator,” a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as: “We fight, we die, we accept no humiliation.”

Mohammadi, who received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, has spent more than 10 years of her life in prison, most recently from November 2021 when she was charged with “propaganda against the state,” “acting against national security,” and membership in “illegal organizations.”

She has been on furlough since December last year for health reasons.