Iranian officials said Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and at least seven other activists were detained on Friday to protect them against possible violence, a claim that activists have rejected.
According to local media reports on Saturday, the Mashhad governor's office in north-eastern Iran said the detentions followed a protest led by Mohammadi, during which harsh slogans against Iran's political leadership were reportedly shouted.
The office claimed the activists were "just temporarily detained for their own protection" against Islamic hardliners who were also at the event. Due to the slogans being used by the activists, there were fears of violent clashes between the two groups, it said.
Activists and opposition sources have dismissed this claim, saying the security guards themselves used insults and excessive force during the raid on the ceremony and the detentions.
They also say at least 40 activists were detained, including on charges of supporting the return to a monarchy system in the country.
The detentions were made during a memorial ceremony for the late lawyer Khosrow Alikordi at a mosque in Mashhad. According to official reports, 46-year-old Alikordi died of a heart attack several days ago. Opposition sources say he died from torture while in custody.
Alikordi, a human rights lawyer who represented political prisoners, was widely respected among activists, and his death shocked Iran's human rights community. He was known for his critical approach toward the judiciary, which landed him on the Islamic system's political blacklist.
Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran, her opposition to the death penalty and her advocacy for human rights and freedom.
She had been serving a lengthy prison sentence in Tehran's notorious Evin prison before being released around a year ago due to health problems.
