Imprisoned for Peace: The Violent Arrest and Persecution of Iran’s Narges Mohammadi

Iran’s ongoing crackdown on dissent reached a grim milestone this week with the violent arrest and imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, a leading Iranian human rights campaigner and long-time critic of the regime. Her detention highlights the growing dangers faced by peaceful activists in Iran and the lengths to which the authorities will go to suppress basic freedoms.

Mohammadi, who won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long work advocating for women’s rights, democracy, and the abolition of the death penalty, was detained on December 12, 2025 at a memorial event in Mashhad for a deceased human rights lawyer. Reports from her family and international media indicate she was violently apprehended by security forces, hospitalized twice due to injuries sustained during the arrest, and is now back in custody amid fears for her health. 

Her protest work has consistently challenged state power in Iran. Mohammadi has been arrested multiple times over the years for speaking out against discriminatory laws, the use of capital punishment, and the broader suppression of civil liberties. Despite her international recognition and unambiguous commitment to non-violence, Iranian authorities have repeatedly targeted her under vaguely defined national security charges such as “spreading propaganda against the state.” 

The wider context is one of a sustained assault on peaceful activism in Iran. Since the mass protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, tens of thousands of Iranians have been arrested, prosecuted, and, in many cases, executed or subjected to brutal treatment simply for expressing dissent. Rights groups report that the government routinely uses arrests and imprisonment, including for memorial gatherings and anniversary events, to silence critics.

What makes Mohammadi’s case particularly egregious is that it underlines how even non-violent, internationally celebrated activists are not protected from Iran’s repression. Her treatment sends a chilling message that peaceful protest, even when rooted in internationally recognised human rights principles, can result in violent arrest, harsh incarceration, and state oppression.

The Iranian authorities claim Mohammadi’s arrest was a “preventive measure” tied to state security concerns, but global condemnation has been swift. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has strongly criticised her detention, demanding her immediate release and calling attention to the broader persecution of civil society defenders in Iran. 

Narges Mohammadi’s imprisonment is not just an attack on one woman’s voice; it is an assault on the fundamental rights of all Iranians to peaceful protest, free expression, and justice. The international community must continue to amplify her plight and pressure Iranian authorities to uphold basic human rights and release her unconditionally.

Image source: The Wall Street Journal