Narges Mohammadi, a jailed Iranian women’s rights advocate, wins the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The former vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) organization is chosen by a panel of experts in Norway from over 350 nominations.
Mohammadi, 51, has been courageous in her activism despite numerous arrests and years of imprisonment.
“This prize recognizes the important work of Narges Mohammadi and the entire women’s rights movement in Iran,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. “The impact of this prize is yet to be determined, but we hope it encourages the movement to continue their work in whatever form they find fitting.”
Mohammadi’s most recent imprisonment began in 2021 when she was detained for attending a memorial. She has been held at Tehran’s Evin Prison, known for its harsh conditions and political prisoners.
Reiss-Andersen revealed that Mohammadi had been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times, totaling 31 years in prison. She is the 19th woman and the second Iranian woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mohammadi was imprisoned during the recent protests demanding justice for Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody. The protests became a significant challenge to Iran’s theocracy, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests.
Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi wrote an op-ed for The New York Times, expressing her resilience: “The more of us they lock up, the stronger we become.”
The DHRC’s Tehran office was raided and banned by Iranian authorities in 2008.
In 2019, Mohammadi and her fellow prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe announced a hunger strike at Evin Prison to protest the denial of medical treatment. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released in 2022, but Mohammadi remains incarcerated.
Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to human rights activists from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, serving as a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian ally.
The Nobel Peace Prize can be awarded to individuals or organizations. Previous winners include Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the United Nations.
Unlike other Nobel prizes, the peace prize is decided and awarded in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, as decreed by Alfred Nobel. The committee is appointed by the Norwegian parliament.
This year, the committee received 351 nominations, including individuals and organizations. Nominators include former Nobel Peace Prize winners, committee members, heads of states, parliament members, and professors in relevant fields.
The Nobel prizes are announced throughout the year, with the award ceremonies held in December. Recipients receive a cash award, a gold medal, and a diploma.
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