Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi says she was violently beaten and arrested by security forces in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad and later accused of “cooperation with the State of Israel,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's first comments since she was detained last week.
In an account relayed by her family of a brief phone call she made after several days without contact, Mohammadi said in a post on a social media account operated by her foundation that she endured severe physical abuse during her arrest and detention.
Mohammadi said she "was attacked with severe and continuous blows to the head and neck with a baton and then violently arrested."
At the same time as she was beaten, she said she was threatened and told: "We will make your mother mourn for you."
Mohammadi’s family said she was not in good physical condition during the call and urged her lawyers to file an immediate formal complaint against the security agency responsible for her arrest.
The 53-year-old, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for her more than two decades of fighting for women's rights in Iran, had traveled to Mashhad on December 11 to attend a memorial marking the seventh day since the death of Khosrow Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights activist whose death has sparked controversy and allegations of foul play.
Mashhad Prosecutor Hassan Hematifar said on December 13 that 39 people were arrested during the memorial ceremony and that all remain in custody.
He said the gathering had been “organized and managed” by individuals linked to Alikordi, including his brother, Javad Alikordi, who was also arrested.
Witnesses and family members have said that security forces disrupted the event, leading to clashes and violence.
Taghi Rahmani, Mohammadi’s husband, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that she has also been accused of “leading” the gathering and steering it toward an anti-establishment rally. He said it was troubling that authorities were taking days to formally charge her, arguing that the delay suggested they were “planning” something.
Mohammadi said the beatings were so severe that she was taken twice to hospital emergency wards. She said she does not know which security body is currently detaining her.
According to her account, she was accused during and after her arrest of “cooperation with the State of Israel,” a charge frequently used by Iranian authorities against political activists and dissidents.
Citing eyewitness accounts, the family said around 15 individuals took part in the attack on Mohammadi. Some reportedly pulled her hair, while others beat her with batons and clubs. All were said to be dressed in plain clothes.
The family also said tear gas was used during the ceremony.
Mohammadi has spent much of the past decade behind bars.
She was serving a combined sentence of 13 years and nine months before being released on medical grounds in early December 2024. At the time of her new arrest, she was reportedly still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Since her release, Mohammadi had resumed her human rights work, meeting with civil activists across Iran and taking part in international discussions, including virtual conferences with foreign audiences.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has condemned Mohammadi's "brutal arrest" and called on Iranian authorities "to immediately clarify Mohammadi’s whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions."
Human rights activists Sepideh Gholian and Pouran Nazemi were also reportedly beaten during the clashes.
Several other detainees, including Alieh Motalebzadeh, Pouran Nazemi, and Hasti Amiri, have since made brief phone calls to their families.
Ghazal Abdollahi, the daughter of Alieh Motalebzadeh, said on X that her mother told her she had initially been held by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps before being transferred to the Intelligence Ministry’s Mashhad office.
Abdollahi warned that her mother’s health is at serious risk, noting that Motalebzadeh is a breast cancer survivor who has undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy and requires regular medication and specialized care. She said her mother had been denied access to essential treatment while in detention.
The crackdown followed the death of Alikordi, who had previously been imprisoned and in recent years represented political prisoners and families seeking justice.
Alikordi died on December 5 in his office in Mashhad. Iranian authorities have said the cause of death was a heart attack, but his family and supporters have questioned the official explanation.
His brother, Javad Alikordi, a lawyer currently serving a sentence under electronic monitoring, has described the death as suspicious, citing the removal of surveillance cameras from the office.
Iranian authorities have released video of what they say shows Alikordi collapsing to the ground in his office. They say the grainy footage backs up their claim. Alikordi's family and supporters have questioned the veracity of the video.
