PEN International:

“We are deeply shocked by the news of the brutal assault and subsequent detention of prominent Iranian writer and Nobel laureate, Narges Mohammadi last week. Mohammadi has always faced persecution due to her expression and relentless human rights advocacy. Instead of listening to Mohammadi’s demands for respect and protection of Iranians’ rights and freedoms, the regime chose to silence her voice thought threats, violence, and imprisonment. Narges Mohammadi should be released immediately and provided with urgent medical care,” said Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.

15 December 2025: PEN International strongly condemns the arbitrary, violent arrest and detention of writer, human rights defender, and Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi on 12 December and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. Iranian authorities should immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure that she has access to her lawyer and family.

We remain deeply concerned about Mohammadi’s health and safety, and stress that Iranian authorities must ensure her urgent access to adequate medical care and protection against torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment. PEN International further reiterates its calls for the charges against her to be dropped and her sentence squashed.

On 12 December, Narges Mohammadi’s family announced that she had been violently arrested in Mashhad city while attending a memorial service for Iranian human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in suspicious circumstances earlier this month. The family received a brief call from Narges on 14 December, almost two days following her arrest, informing them that she had been hospitalised twice due to her injuries. She explained to her family that plain-clothed agents violently assaulted her with batons to the head and neck and issued death threats against her. According to the family’s statement, Mohammadi sounded unwell during the call, and she was unsure which security apparatus was responsible for her arrest and detention. 

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