International Outcry Grows Over Re-Arrest of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran

International human rights organizations have strongly condemned the re-arrest of Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, sparking renewed global concern over freedom of expression and human rights in Iran. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has urged Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, guarantee her safety, and release her without conditions, while the European Union has echoed calls for her unconditional freedom, citing her fragile health.

According to Mohammadi’s French lawyer, Chirine Ardakani, the prominent human rights activist was arrested on Friday in the northeastern city of Mashhad after she spoke at a memorial ceremony for lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, whose death earlier this month has been described as suspicious by rights groups. Authorities claim Alikordi died of a heart attack, but activists continue to demand an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Mashhad prosecutor Hasan Hematifar confirmed that Mohammadi was among 39 people detained following the ceremony. He alleged that Mohammadi and Alikordi’s brother made “provocative remarks,” encouraged attendees to chant “norm-breaking” slogans, and disrupted public order. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that two police officers, including Mashhad’s police chief, were injured by knife wounds while attempting to control the crowd.

Videos circulating widely on social media appear to show the 53-year-old activist standing on a car without the mandatory veil, holding a microphone and chanting “Long Live Iran” before a crowd. Human rights groups say demonstrators also shouted slogans such as “death to the dictator” and “we fight, we die, we accept no humiliation,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ardakani stated that Mohammadi was beaten prior to her arrest. Reporters Without Borders reported that at least four journalists were also detained during the memorial. Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has spent more than a decade in prison on charges including propaganda against the state and acting against national security.

The case has resonated beyond Iran, with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado drawing parallels between democratic struggles in Iran and Venezuela, calling them part of a universal fight for freedom and human dignity.