Iran arrests female Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Darwin, 13 December:

Iranian security forces have arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. She was detained on Friday (12 December) while attending a memorial service for a lawyer. The lawyer had died earlier this month.

Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023. At the time, she was imprisoned. However, she was released from prison in December 2024.

According to an AFP report, she and several others were arrested on Friday while attending a memorial gathering for a lawyer named Khosrow Alikordi. His body was found in his office last week.

Narges Mohammadi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, who lives in Paris, said that Narges and others were arrested in the eastern city of Mashhad.

Why did Narges receive the Nobel Peace Prize?

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her unwavering struggle against the oppression of women in Iran and her tireless efforts to establish human rights and freedom for all in the country. Mohammadi has been outspoken for years in demanding freedom of expression and the abolition of the death penalty.

Because of her strong stance, Iran’s ruling authorities have repeatedly arrested her, and she is currently serving a total prison sentence of 31 years. According to the Nobel Committee, her award is an important symbol of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, especially that of women.