Narges Mohammadi, an imprisoned Iranian advocate for women’s rights, has been honored with the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless social reform efforts and her fearless commitment to fighting women’s oppression in Iran.
Despite being in jail, the prize was given to her on Friday in acknowledgment of her endeavors “to advance human rights and freedom for all,” as stated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
During the announcement in Oslo, Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, mentioned that Narges Mohammadi, the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, an NGO led by the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shirin Ebadi, has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times, and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison, along with 154 lashes.
The Front Line Defenders rights organization reported that Narges who is now 51, is currently serving multiple prison terms in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison which amounts to about 12 years imprisonment for different charges which include spreading propaganda against the state.
In the past, she told The New York Times that she would continue pursuing democracy and equality – even if that meant imprisonment.
“I will continue to fight against the relentless discrimination, tyranny, and gender-based oppression by the oppressive religious government until the liberation of women,” she said.
Today, Iran’s position on the World Economic Forum’s gender equality ranking is 143rd out of 146 countries. Narges Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Prize for Peace
Having been in detention since November 2021, Narges Mohammadi, for eight years has been separated from her children, who reside in France with her husband. Amnesty International has categorized her as a ‘prisoner of conscience.’
Mohammadi’s family regarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a significant milestone in Iran’s struggle for freedom. Simultaneously, the United Nations has issued a plea for ‘her release and the release of all human rights activists incarcerated in Iran.'”
