The European Union has called on Iran to release Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was reportedly detained along with at least eight other activists. The appeal comes amid growing concerns over human rights in the country.
A spokesperson for the EU’s diplomatic service, stated that Iranian authorities should release Mohammadi, taking into consideration her fragile health, as well as all those detained “unjustly while exercising their freedom of expression.”
“Mohammadi, who has endured years in prison due to her activism, bravely continues to use her voice to defend the human dignity and fundamental rights of Iranians, including freedom of expression, which must be respected at all times,” the spokesperson added.
Mohammadi, 53, who was last arrested in November 2021, has spent much of the past decade behind bars. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner was temporarily released from prison for medical reasons in December 2024.
Reports indicate that she was detained again on Friday, along with eight other activists, while attending a memorial marking the week since the death of lawyer Khosro Ali Kordi, who was found dead in his office last week.
According to the Mehr news agency, the governor of Mashhad, Hassan Hosseini, claimed that the individuals arrested chanted “slogans considered contrary to public norms,” without naming them.
Ali Kordi, 45, was a lawyer who had taken on sensitive cases, including those involving individuals detained in a crackdown against protests that erupted across Iran in 2022. His body was discovered on December 5th. Human rights organizations have called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The Norway-based NGO, Iran Human Rights, stated that his death “raises very serious suspicions of a state-involved murder.”
The EU’s statement underscores the international community’s continued scrutiny of Iran’s human rights record and the ongoing pressure for the release of political prisoners and activists.
