New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was taken to a hospital emergency room twice after her arrest last week by Iranian security forces, her family said Tuesday, following what they described as severe beatings during her detention in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

In a statement on social media, Mohammadi's family said they spoke with her briefly by phone after the arrest and she described repeated blows that required emergency treatment.

Mohammadi, 53, was arrested Friday while attending a gathering connected to the death of human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, according to the Narges Mohammadi Foundation. Images shared by supporters show her speaking to a crowd shortly before security forces m...