On May 2, 2020, agents from the Piranshahr division of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) arrested Mohammadi and his cousin and transferred them to an unknown location.

According to informed sources who spoke to the Hahangar website, a Kurdish-language site, the house of Navid Seyyed Mohammadi's cousin, a 50-year old named Khaled, was searched by the IRGC intelligence agents after his arrest, and a number of personal belongings were confiscated.

After his arrest, Mohammadi was allowed a short phone call, in which he spoke in Persian and informed his family that he had been arrested.

The reasons for the arrest remain unclear, but security officers have taken Mohammadi to a detention center in Urmia for questioning and interrogation.

The Hahangar website reported that in May 2020, security officers also arrested approximately 10 other citizens of Piranshahr.

On June 12, 2020, Mafnews reported that Navid Seyed Mohammadi and his cousin had been remanded in custody and that their detention would be extended for another month.