Iranian human rights activist Mohammadi receives Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize 2023 awarded to Iranian activist and human rights defender Narges Mohammadi. This was reported on the Nobel Prize’s Twitter page.

The decision of the Nobel Committee was announced on October 6 in Oslo.

“For her struggle against the oppression of women in Iran and the promotion of human rights and freedoms for all,” the committee’s motivation for the decision reads.

Mohammadi was arrested 13 times in Iran and sentenced to 31 years

The Nobel Committee noted that Mohammadi was arrested 13 times in Iran and sentenced to 31 years. She is still in prison.

This year, Narges Mohammadi was also among the winners of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, awarded for her contribution to press freedom.

In 2023, the Nobel Prize provides a cash prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million), a diploma and a gold medal.

Who is Narges Mohammadi, and why was she chosen?

Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian activist and Deputy Director of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi.

Mohammadi has been sentenced to several prison terms since 2011 and is currently being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison for “spreading propaganda”.

This year, she was also included in the BBC’s 100 Women, a high-profile list of 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide.

The Nobel Committee’s decision to award its peace prize to Narges Mohammadi comes after more than a year of protests in the country, led by women.

They were sparked off in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by Iran’s notorious vice police.

The unrest quickly spread throughout the country, with demands ranging from greater freedom to overthrowing the regime.

Images of Iranian women setting fire to their headscarves and chanting “women, life, freedom” captivated the world.

The authorities brutally repressed the demonstrations, which have since largely subsided.