Norwegian Nobel Committee condemns "brutal arrest" of Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi

In a statement, the Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jrgen Watne Frydnes, said that Mohammadi was detained alongside several other activists while describing her as a staunch defender of human rights, freedom of expression, and democratic participation in Iran.

He also expressed solidarity with her and all those working peacefully for human rights in the country.

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee is deeply concerned by today's brutal arrest of Narges Mohammadi alongside a number of other activists. Ms. Mohammadi - the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate - is a staunch defender of human rights, freedom of expression and democratic participation in Iran. The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi's whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions. The Committee stands in solidarity with Narges Mohammadi and all those in Iran who work peacefully for human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression," the statement read.

The Committee also noted the timing of her arrest, which coincides with the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, amid close collaboration between the Iranian and Venezuelan regimes.

"Given the close collaboration between the regimes in Iran and Venezuela, the Norwegian Nobel Committee notes that Ms. Mohammadi is arrested just as the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado," the statement further read.

Earlier, according to the Paris-based Narges Mohammadi Foundation, Iranian authorities arrested Mohammadi violently on Friday during a memorial ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer recently found dead in his office, as reported by CNN.

The foundation, citing Mohammadi's brother, Mehdi, reported that she was taken into custody in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city.

Mohammadi is among Iran's most prominent human rights defenders, recognised internationally for her advocacy and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her efforts to promote democracy, rule of law, and human rights.

Mohammadi has spent the majority of the past two decades in Tehran's Evin Prison, a facility notorious for detaining critics of the Iranian regime, as reported by CNN.

In December 2024, Iranian authorities temporarily suspended her prison sentence for three weeks to allow her to recover from surgery performed in November, during which a portion of her lower right leg was removed after doctors discovered a lesion suspected to be cancerous. Mohammadi was expected to return to prison shortly thereafter but remained on furlough until her arrest on Friday, CNN reported.

According to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation, she has been sentenced to multiple prison terms totalling 36 years on charges including acting against national security and spreading propaganda.

Despite her imprisonment and health challenges, Mohammadi has remained active in human rights advocacy over the past year, speaking out on the human rights situation in Iran at various international events and continuing her campaign for justice and freedom in the country, CNN reported. (ANI)