Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran

Iranian human rights groups have announced that the security forces have Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi arrested and several other activists during one memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Mohammadi was participating in the seventh day mourning ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent human rights lawyer whose recent death sparked public outrage.

The foundation said security and police officers made the arrest during the event. Also in handcuffs are activists Sepideh Gholian, Hasti Amiri, Pouran Nazemi, Alieh Motalebzadeh. Mohammadi, one of the most prominent human rights activists in Iran, he is serving a total prison sentence of 13 years and nine months for national security charges and is on leave for health reasons from Evin prison in Tehran.

The woman has repeatedly said she is under serious threats from Iranian security agencies. In August, she told German magazine Der Spiegel that intelligence agents had made direct and indirect death threats to her. The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said at the time that Mohammadi had warned that his life was in danger, citing what he described as threats of “physical elimination” by state agents.

Mohammadi accused Iranian authorities of escalating the pressure on civil society after the June ceasefire with Israel.