Oslo: Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 for her fight against the oppression of women. She remains in jail as she becomes the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The prize worth 11 million Swedish crowns (around $1 million) will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will.
Mohammadi is among the leading human rights activists in Iran, which is among the worst countries for women rights. Violent protests had broken out in the country after Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, was killed in the custody of the morality police.
“Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. In awarding her this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour her courageous fight for human rights, freedom, and democracy in Iran,” said the website.
She is now serving multiple sentences at a prison in Tehran for charges that include spreading propaganda against the state, reports suggest. Mohammadi is also the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre, a non-governmental organisation led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
In an official statement, the academy said, “Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. Mohammadi is still in prison as I speak.”
“The award to Narges Mohammadi follows a long tradition in which the Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Peace Prize to those working to advance social justice, human rights, and democracy,” it added.
According to the Academy, the Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries and have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power…Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy,” it said.
The Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 was awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.
Meanwhile, the Economic Sciences Prize announcement will be made on October 9 at 3:15 pm.
