Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned, making her the fifth person to receive the prize under these circumstances. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Mohammadi’s fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her efforts to promote human rights and freedom for all. This award will bring international attention to the fight for women’s rights in Iran, where women protested after the death of a young woman in custody. Despite the subsiding protests, the underlying issues remain, with recent reports of another young woman facing consequences for not wearing proper Islamic headgear. Activists, including Mohammadi, have questioned the authorities’ claims of innocence. Mohammadi has faced tremendous personal costs in her fight, with 13 arrests, five convictions, and a total prison sentence of 31 years and 154 lashes. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the prize to honor her courageous fight for human rights, freedom, and democracy in Iran. Mohammadi expressed her gratitude on her Instagram page, although she cannot be contacted until the day after the prize announcement due to prison restrictions. Iranian state media labeled her imprisonment as a result of security violations and accused former Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi of encouraging Mohammadi’s extremist behavior to gain recognition. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Nobel Peace Committee’s decision as biased and politically motivated. Mohammadi’s activism began in the 1990s as she studied physics and later became an engineer. She has been an advocate for equality, women’s rights, and the abolition of the death penalty. In 2011, she was first arrested for her support of incarcerated activists and their families. Currently serving a 10-year sentence in Evin Prison, Mohammadi actively works to challenge the conditions imposed on her and fellow female inmates, such as torture and solitary confinement. Last year, she published the book “White Torture,” which exposes Iran’s use of solitary confinement and sensory deprivation. Mohammadi showed her defiance by staging a protest inside Evin Prison on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, during which she and three other women burned their headscarves. Recently, she criticized Tehran’s response to reports of a teenage girl being in a coma after an encounter with the morality police. Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi’s determination to continue her work sends a powerful message within the activist community and to the younger generation facing attempts to suppress dissent in Iran. Mohammadi’s husband, Taghi Rahmani, who also endured imprisonment, described her as someone who lives for others and is committed to being the voice for the voiceless. Mohammadi has been previously recognized for her human rights work by organizations like Reporters Without Borders and the United Nations. The Nobel Peace Prize has historically been awarded to political leaders, but in recent years, it has been given to individuals and organizations advocating for human rights and engaging in humanitarian work. The last political leader to receive the prize was Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Now, Mohammadi joins the likes of Carl von Ossietzky, Aung San Suu Kyi, Liu Xiaobo, and Ales Bialiatski as Nobel Peace Prize recipients who have been detained. The Peace Prize recognizes individuals or organizations contributing to fraternity between nations, reducing standing armies, holding peace conferences, and now includes humanitarian work and the fight for human rights.
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