Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran, supporters say.

 

Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi arrested in Iran(Image: BBC/AFP)

Iranian security forces have "violently arrested" Nobel Peace Prize winner and women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi, her foundation has said.

 According to the Narges Foundation, Ms. Mohammadi, 53, and other activists were detained in the eastern city of Mashhad. The Nobel Committee said it was "deeply concerned by today's brutal arrest of Narges Mohammadi" and called on the authorities "to immediately clarify Mohammadi's whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions".  Iran doesn't seem to have said anything. Ms Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her activism against female oppression in Iran and promoting human rights.

A group of historic preservationists is suing the White House over plans for the ballroom.

After being held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since 2021, she was granted a temporary release from jail in December 2024 for medical reasons. She was freed for three weeks. She was expected to return to prison soon after, where she was serving multiple sentences.

 According to reports, she was apprehended just as she was attending a memorial service for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer who was found dead in his office last week. Norway-based group Iran Human Rights had called for an independent inquiry to establish how he died, saying the circumstances around his death were "suspicious".

 Several other activists were detained at the ceremony, where it's reported they shouted slogans, including "death to the dictator" and "long live Iran".

 Ms. Mohammadi's husband, Taghi Rahmani, stated to BBC Persian, "They arrested Narges violently." At the memorial, her arrest was witnessed by the lawyer's brother. "This act is against human rights laws, and amounts to some kind of revenge.

 "This happened today in Mashhad and is concerning due to the recent intensification of the establishment's crackdown,"

Ms. Mohammadi had recently said that the Iranian government had increased repression since the ceasefire with Israel in June. Last week she wrote an article for Time magazine about the Iranian state controlling all aspects of personal or public life.

 "Their peace is disrupted by surveillance, censorship, arbitrary arrest, torture, and the constant threat of violence," she said.

 She had also told the Nobel Committee she had received warnings from "agents of the regime" through indirect channels and her lawyers.

 The Nobel Committee's statement continued, "The threats conveyed to Ms. Mohammadi make it clear that her security is at risk, unless she commits to end all public engagement within Iran, as well as any international advocacy or media appearances in support of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression." She has maintained her defiance throughout the past year, meeting activists from across the country and refusing to wear the required headscarf. Across her lifetime, Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times and been sentenced to more 36 years imprisonment and 154 lashes, according to her foundation.

Who is Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi?

Narges Mohammadi has been in jail almost continuously since 2010(Image:Reuter)

Narges Mohammadi, who has won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, has for years been a prominent human rights figure in Iran.

She was called a "freedom fighter" by the head of the Nobel committee after she won the prize for fighting against the country's oppression of women. She has also tirelessly campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, which has one of the highest execution rates in the world.

 Ms. Mohammadi has been imprisoned almost continuously since 2010 but has managed to make public abuses even while she is inside. Ms Mohammadi, 51, has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times, and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison.  She is currently detained on charges of "spreading propaganda." With their two children, her husband, political activist Taghi Rahmani, lives in exile in Paris. They have not seen each other in years. Mr Rahmani told BBC Persian his wife was "a representative of all those whom this prize has gone to.  It is a part of the massive Iranian movement known as Woman, Life, Freedom, whose slogan was adopted by protesters. We are very happy about it." The head of the Nobel committee said that Ms. Mohammadi fought for women against systemic oppression and discrimination when she was given the prize.

Latest News: Russia hits back at Europe's big plan to loan Moscow's frozen cash to Ukraine

Ms. Mohammadi has not been silenced despite her imprisonment. She wrote about the sexual and physical abuse of women detained during the anti-government protests that were sweeping the country last year in a letter from Evin Prison in Tehran. Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody in September 2022 after being arrested for allegedly violating strict dress codes, which sparked the protests. White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners, which Ms. Mohammadi also wrote, details her own and the experiences of 12 other prisoners in solitary confinement. She wrote, "I declare again that this is a cruel and inhumane punishment." "Until it is eliminated, I will not rest." Ms Mohammadi's achievement comes 20 years after the peace prize was awarded to another Iranian human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi.  The Defender of Human Rights Center in Iran, which was established by Ms. Ebadi, has Ms. Mohammadi serving as vice president. Ms. Mohammadi has been honored with a number of human rights awards over the years, but the fact that she has been honored with the most prestigious peace award in the world gives her a level of international recognition that Iran will not welcome.

Source: BBC NEWS.