An empty space showing that Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was not present during the award ceremony at Oslo City Hall, Norway, Dec. 10, 2023. Photo: NTB/Javad Parsa via REUTERS

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was taken to the hospital emergency room twice after suffering blows from security forces who arrested her on Dec. 12, her family told the Narges Foundation on Monday.

The human rights activist won the award whilst in prison in 2023, following her three-decade campaign for women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty in Iran.

She was re-arrested on Friday – having been released late last year – after denouncing the suspicious death of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi.

Mashhad prosecutor Hasan Hematifar had told reporters on Saturday that Mohammadi and Alikordi’s brother had made provocative remarks at the lawyer’s memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad and encouraged those present “to chant norm‑breaking slogans” and “disturb the peace.”

The family-run Narges Foundation said Mohammadi had made a call to her family late on Sunday.

“Narges Mohammadi said in the call that the intensity of the blows was so heavy, forceful, and repeated that she was taken to the hospital emergency room twice … Her physical condition at the time of the call was not good, and she appeared unwell,” the foundation said in a post on X.

Mohammadi had been released in December last year from Tehran’s Evin prison after the suspension of her jail term to undergo medical treatment.

She told her family she was accused of “cooperating with the Israeli government” and received death threats from security forces, prompting her to request her legal team to file a formal complaint against the detaining security body and the violent manner of her arrest.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed al Ahmed, who was identified on social media as the bystander who hid behind parked cars and seized a rifle from one of the gunmen during the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 15, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. Photo: @ChrisMinnsMP via X/via REUTERS

Donations for a Sydney man who wrestled a gun from one of the alleged attackers during a mass shooting at Bondi Beach have surged past A$1.1 million ($744,000), as he recovers in hospital after surgery for bullet wounds.

Forty-three-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim father-of-two, hid behind parked cars before charging at one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his rifle, and knocking him to the ground.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Ahmed’s bravery saved lives.

“What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours was the worst of humanity in a terrorist act. But we also saw an example of the best of humanity in Ahmed Al Ahmed running towards danger, putting his own life at risk,” Albanese told state broadcaster ABC News.

He was shot twice by a second perpetrator, Albanese said.

Ahmed’s family said he was hit in the hand and arm.

Australian police on Monday said a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son carried out the attack at a Jewish celebration on Sunday afternoon, killing 15 people in the country’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.

HAILED A HERO FOR DISARMING THE GUNMAN

Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told ABC News in an interview that his son was an Australian citizen and sells fruits and vegetables.

“My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.”

“When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon,” Mohamed Fateh said.

Jozay Alkanji, Ahmed’s cousin, said he had had initial surgery and may need more.

AHMED PICTURED IN HOSPITAL

Tributes have poured in from leaders both abroad and at home.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, said in a social media post he visited Ahmed at St George Hospital and conveyed the gratitude of people across the state.

“Ahmed is a real-life hero,” his post said. “Thank you, Ahmed.” A photo showed Minns at his bedside, and Ahmed propped on pillows with his left arm in a cast.

US President Donald Trump called Ahmed “a very, very brave person” who saved many lives.

A GoFundMe campaign set up for Ahmed has raised more than A$1.1 million within one day. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was the largest donor, contributing A$99,999 and sharing the fundraiser on his X account.

SUPPORTERS THANK AHMED FOR SAVING LIVES

Outside St George Hospital, strangers came to show their support.

Misha and Veronica Pochuev left flowers for Ahmed with their seven-year-old daughter, Miroslava.

“My husband is Russian, my father is Jewish, my grandpa is Muslim. This is not only about Bondi, this is about every person,” Veronica said.

Yomna Touni, 43, stayed at the hospital for hours to offer assistance on behalf of a Muslim-run charity also raising funds for Ahmed.

“The intention is to raise as much money as possible for his speedy recovery,” she said.

($1 = 1.5047 Australian dollars)

Police officers gather at the scene of a shooting incident targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, Dec. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Izhar Khan

Major cities across the Western world are buttressing security around synagogues and Hanukkah events following an antisemitic massacre at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia over the weekend which claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including a child and a Holocaust survivor, who were attending a celebration of the start of the Jewish holiday.

Police officials said that a father and son opened fire on Jews celebrating the start of Hanukkah, hospitalizing dozens of people in addition to those who were murdered. Investigators told Australian media that they identified the mass shooters as Sajid Akram, 50, was killed at the scene, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, who was in critical condition in a hospital. The younger suspect reportedly came to the attention of Australia’s domestic intelligence agency in 2019 for his ties to a Sydney-based cell of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.

Following the tragedy, several cities have decided to ramp up their security around Jewish sites as Jews celebrate the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah this week.

“At this time, there is no known nexus to New York City, and we are not tracking any specific, credible threats related to Hanukkah events here,” New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch posted on social media. “Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD has significantly increased security around Hanukkah celebrations, menorah lightings, and Jewish houses of worship across all five boroughs.”

Tisch, who noted that the NYPD has been in “continuous contact with our law enforcement partners in Australia,” explained that “New Yorkers will see an enhanced uniformed presence, specialized patrols, counterterrorism resources, and additional protective measures deployed where appropriate. We are actively following up on tips, leads, and intelligence, and marshalling all available resources to keep New Yorkers safe.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams added that residents will see an extra law enforcement presence to protect Hanukkah events.

“We will continue to ensure the Jewish community can celebrate the holiday in safety — including at public Menorah lightings across the city. Let us pray for the injured and stand together against hatred,” he said on X. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are surging our police presence, and our teams will be visible at menorah lightings and synagogues across the city. We will not let what happened in Sydney happen here.”

In Germany, local law enforcement was taking similar precautions.

“Even though there are currently no concrete indications of a threat to Berlin following the alleged attack in Australia, we remain vigilant and alert,” the Berlin Police said in a statement on Sunday. “The Berlin Police is in close exchange with the security authorities at the federal and state levels and continuously adjusts its measures to the situation. The comprehensive protection of the Hanukkah event this evening at [Brandenburg Gate] has been planned for some time.”

The Berlin Police continued, “In light of the events in Sydney, we will intensify our measures once again and be present there with a reinforced deployment of forces.”

“It’s exactly what it means to ‘globalize the intifada,’” Adams continued, referring to a controversial phrase echoed by anti-Israel activists that has been widely interpreted as a call for violence against Jews and Israelis. “Words have consequences, and we must condemn the slogans that incite violence and fuel extremism without equivocation.”

Tisch added that “Jewish life will not be driven into the shadows.”

A majority of American Jews now consider antisemitism to be a normal and endemic aspect of life in the US, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Jewish Federations of North America.

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.