Iran arrest Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi

There was no immediate comment from Iran over its detention of Mohammadi, 53. It wasn't clear if authorities would immediately return her to prison to serve the rest of her term.

Her supporters on Friday described her as having been "violently detained earlier today by security and police forces."

They said other activists had been arrested as well at a ceremony honouring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad.

"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," a statement read.

"Their arrest constitutes a serious violation of fundamental freedoms."

Alikordi was found dead earlier this month in his office, with officials in Razavi Khorasan describing his death as a heart attack. However, a tightening security crackdown coincided with his death, raising questions. Over 80 lawyers signed a statement demanding more information.

"Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran's community of human rights defenders," the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said Thursday.

"Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, harassed and threatened by security and judicial forces."

Footage purportedly of the ceremony showed Mohammadi on a microphone, calling out to the crowd gathered without wearing a hijab, or headscarf. She started the crowd chanting the name Majidreza Rahnavard, a man whom authorities hanged from a crane in a public execution in 2022.

Supporters had warned for months that Mohammadi was at risk of being put back into prison after she received a furlough in December 2024 over medical concerns.

While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi's time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free. She remained out even during the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel.

Mohammadi still kept up her activism with public protests and international media appearances, including even demonstrating at one point in front of Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where she had been held.

Mohammadi had been serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government.

She also had backed the nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which have seen women openly defy the government by not wearing the hijab.