Jailed Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi awarded 2023 Nobel Peace Prize

Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023. Mohammadi, who is currently in prison, has been awarded the prestigious prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. According to the Nobel Prize Organisation, “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 contributed to Iran’s ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement which was triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after she was arrested for not wearing her hijab ‘properly’. Who is Narges Mohammadi? An engineer by profession, Narges Mohammadi had started to distinguish herself as an advocate of women’s rights in the 1990s itself. She also worked as a columnist in various reform-minded newspapers. In 2003, Mohammadi became a member of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran, an organisation founded by Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Mohammadi was arrested for the first time in 2011 following which she was sentenced to many years in prison over her efforts to help fellow incarcerated activists. She was also at the forefront of the fight to abolish the use of death penalties in Iran. “Last year’s wave of protests became known to the political prisoners held inside the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Once again, Ms Mohammadi assumed leadership. From prison she expressed support for the demonstrators and organised solidarity actions among her fellow inmates. The prison authorities responded by imposing even stricter conditions,” the Nobel Peace Prize Committee said. It added, “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.”