Prominent Figures Arrested at Commemoration Ceremony for Khosro Alikordi
Many prominent figures were detained by law enforcement forces during the seventh-day commemoration ceremony for Khosro Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights defender, held at Ghadir Mosque in Mashhad.
On Friday, December 12, corresponding to December 21 in the Persian calendar, the seventh-day memorial ceremony for Khosro Alikordi, a lawyer and human rights defender, was held at Ghadir Mosque in Mashhad. However, the gathering was accompanied by a large police and security presence and the detention of a number of attendees.
According to published reports, during the ceremony, a number of attendees were arrested, including Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Sepideh Qolian, Poran Nazemi, Nura Haqqi, Ali Adinezadeh, and Hassan Bagheri Nia. The identities of some other detainees remain unclear.
Reports indicate that government forces used violence during the detention of several activists, including Narges Mohammadi and Sepideh Qolian, and beatings of participants have been reported. Narges Mohammadi, who had recently been released from prison on medical leave, delivered a speech at the ceremony, which was supported by attendees chanting “Woman, Life, Freedom,” “We fight, we die, we do not accept humiliation,” “Death to the dictator,” and “Long live Iran.” Narges Mohammadi was subsequently detained by security forces in a “violent” manner.
Independent reports, including from the human rights organization “Hengaw,” have provided more details about the names of detainees and indicate that at least 16 participants, including members of Alikordi’s family and various civil activists, were detained by government forces.
This ceremony marks the seventh day since the death of Khosro Alikordi, a lawyer who was a defender of politically imprisoned prisoners and families seeking justice. He was found in his office on the evening of December 6, 2025. While authorities have declared his death to be from “heart attack,” his family, colleagues, and other lawyers have expressed doubt about this account and are demanding an independent investigation into the cause of his death.
Such detentions occur within the framework of suppressing human rights activists and civil elites in Iran, which highlights the nature of protests and pressure on civil society. The detention of Narges Mohammadi as an international human rights figure has also drawn the attention of media outlets and international human rights organizations.
In light of these developments, some human rights sources and eyewitnesses have called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees and a transparent investigation into all aspects of Khosro Alikordi’s death.
