Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Iranian human rights campaigner, was taken to hospital twice after being arrested by Iranian security forces in the north-eastern city of Mashhad, according to her family and supporters.
In an account relayed by the Narges Foundation, Mohammadi told relatives during a phone call late on Sunday 14 December that she was struck repeatedly during her arrest on Friday 12 December and then taken to an emergency department on two occasions because of the force of the blows. The foundation said her condition during the call was poor and that she “appeared unwell”.
The re-arrest took place during a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and political prisoner whose death has become the focus of competing claims. Activists and supporters have described his death as suspicious, while officials have said he died of a heart attack. More than 80 lawyers have demanded further information about the circumstances, according to reports of the memorial and its aftermath.
Mashhad’s prosecutor, Hasan Hematifar, told reporters that Mohammadi and Alikordi’s brother made “provocative” remarks at the ceremony and encouraged those present to chant what he described as “norm-breaking slogans” and to disturb public order. Mohammadi was among 39 people detained after the event. He also said Mashhad’s chief of police and another officer suffered knife wounds while trying to manage the scene.
Mohammadi’s supporters say the detention was accompanied by violence. The Narges Foundation, citing Mohammadi’s own account to her family, said she was attacked by agents in civilian clothing who struck her on the head and neck with batons. The foundation also reported that she was threatened, including with remarks interpreted by her family as a death threat.
Mohammadi told her family that she was accused of “cooperating with the Israeli government” and that she received death threats from security officials. She asked her legal team to file a formal complaint about the manner of her arrest and the force used.
International reactions followed swiftly. Norwegian Nobel Committee called on Iran to clarify where Mohammadi was being held, to ensure her safety, and to release her “without conditions”. The European Union also urged her release, referring to her health.
Mohammadi, 53, has spent more than a decade in and out of prison. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while held in Tehran’s Evin prison, with the Nobel institution stating that she has been arrested 13 times and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.
Her current legal status has been shaped by health concerns. Her sentence was suspended in December 2024 to allow her to undergo medical treatment. She previously suffered serious cardiac problems while imprisoned and underwent emergency surgery in 2022? Doctors later identified a bone lesion that was removed amid concerns it could be cancerous.
During her period outside prison, she remained publicly active, attending events and speaking about rights issues inside Iran, despite repeated warnings from supporters that she risked being returned to custody.
Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the family’s account of her hospital treatment or the allegation that she was beaten during detention.
As of Monday 15 December, the central issues remained unresolved: the circumstances of Alikordi’s death, the legal basis for the detention of those at the memorial, and Mohammadi’s physical condition following her reported injuries.
