Arrest and Hospitalization Reported
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was hospitalized last week following her arrest, according to statements from her family. Mohammadi's family reported that she was beaten during the arrest.
Iranian authorities have indicated that Mohammadi was detained for making "provocative remarks" at a memorial ceremony held in Mashhad on Friday. There has been no direct comment from Iranian officials regarding the reported hospitalization or alleged beating.
Family's Account of the Incident
The Narges Foundation, citing Mohammadi's family, stated that Mohammadi informed them in a phone call on Sunday that she had been taken to an emergency department twice. Mohammadi reportedly stated that she was "attacked by plain clothed agents with severe and repeated baton blows to the head and neck."
Eyewitnesses, as cited by Mohammadi's family via the Narges Foundation, described approximately 15 plainclothes agents attacking her at the memorial, with some allegedly pulling her hair and beating her with clubs and batons. Mohammadi further stated that "the intensity of the blows was so heavy, forceful, and repeated that she was taken to the hospital emergency room twice." During her phone call, Mohammadi indicated she did not know which security authority was detaining her and had not received an explanation. Her physical condition was described as "not good" and "unwell" at the time of the call.
The Narges Foundation also cited Mohammadi as reporting that she was accused of "co-operating with the Israeli government" and received a death threat stating, "We will put your mother into mourning." The statement noted that two other activists, Sepideh Gholian and Pouran Nazemi, who were also detained at the memorial ceremony, were reportedly beaten by plainclothes agents.
Background of Narges Mohammadi
Narges Mohammadi, aged 53, serves as the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. She was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy against female oppression in Iran and her work in promoting human rights.
Mohammadi has spent over 10 years in prison in Iran. Since 2021, she has been serving a 13-year sentence on charges of "propaganda activity against the state" and "collusion against state security," charges which she has denied. In December 2024, she received a temporary release from Evin prison in Tehran on medical grounds and continued her activism while undergoing treatment.
The Memorial Ceremony
The incident occurred after Mohammadi delivered a speech at a memorial ceremony in Mashhad for Khosrow Alikordi, a human rights activist and lawyer. Alikordi was found dead earlier this month under circumstances described as "suspicious" by human rights groups.
Mashhad prosecutor Hasan Hematifar stated on Saturday that Mohammadi was among 39 individuals arrested at the event. Hematifar accused Mohammadi and Javad Alikordi, Khosrow Alikordi's brother, of encouraging attendees "to chant norm-breaking slogans" and "disturb the peace."
International Reaction
The Norwegian Nobel Committee issued a statement on Friday expressing "deep concern" regarding what it termed the "brutal arrest" of Mohammadi. The committee called upon Iranian authorities to "ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions."
A joint statement from Jafar Panahi, fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, and over a dozen other activists commented that the events at Alikordi's memorial ceremony "was a stark reflection of the worrying state of freedom and security, and, consequently, the inefficiency and lack of accountability of the authorities in today's Iran."