Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi wins 2023 Nobel Peace Prize

Mohammadi is 4th Muslim women who has been conferred Nobel prize, after Shirin Ebadi, Tawakel Karman and Malala Yousafzai

OSLO, Norway –  In a significant announcement, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Iranian rights activist, Narges Mohammadi.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, in their ceremony in Oslo, highlighted her relentless efforts and sacrifices, noting that she has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times, and is currently serving a prison sentence totaling 31 years with an additional 154 lashes.

“This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with its undisputed leader, Narges Mohammadi,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee who announced the prize in Oslo.

A prominent figure in the Iranian human rights movement, Mohammadi’s journey has been fraught with challenges.

She has paid a heavy personal price, being separated from her family, including her husband and their twin children, for years.

Her husband Taghi Ramahi, also an activist, currently resides in France with their children due to the threats they face in Iran.

“This Nobel Prize will embolden Narges’ fight for human rights, but more importantly, this is in fact a prize for the woman, life and freedom (movement),” he said.

Mohammadi’s advocacy extends beyond her personal endeavors. She has used her incarceration as a platform to promote change and awareness.

From her cell, she has published research on the detrimental effects of solitary confinement and the conditions of prisons in Iran.

In other related news, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights group Memorial, and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties.

The Peace Prize is the only one of the Nobel prizes to be awarded in Norway’s capital Oslo, rather than Sweden’s capital Stockholm.

Mohammadi is possibility fourth Muslim women who has been conferred the Nobel prize. Others include Shirin Ebadi, Tawakel Karman and Malala Yousafzai. 

Over the past week, the Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and Literature Prizes have been announced. The final prize, for economics, is to be announced on Monday.