Incarcerated Iranian Advocate Narges Mohammadi Awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Her Struggle Against Female Subjugation

In a momentous event on Friday, Narges Mohammadi, an incarcerated Iranian campaigner, was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for her unyielding efforts to advocate for women’s freedoms, democratic principles, and the abolition of the death penalty.

At the age of 51, Mohammadi has persisted in her activism despite multiple detentions by the Iranian regime and extended periods of imprisonment.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, proclaimed the award in Oslo, stating, “This accolade serves primarily as an acknowledgment of the significant contributions of an entire Iranian movement, led unequivocally by Narges Mohammadi.” Reiss-Andersen expressed the committee’s aspiration that the honor would “act as an impetus to sustain the endeavors in whatever format the movement deems appropriate,” and called on Iran to facilitate Mohammadi’s attendance at the award ceremony slated for December 10.

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An unusual premature disclosure occurred in the announcement of Nobel laureates in chemistry. The Nobel Prize in Literature was conferred upon Jon Fosse of Norway, notable for authoring a novel in a solitary sentence. A trio of scientists were recognized for their work on quantum dots, a technology with applications in electronics and medical imaging.

Since her birth, Mohammadi has lived under the rule of Iran’s Shiite theocracy, led by the nation’s supreme leader. Although women in Iran can be employed, hold academic titles, and even occupy governmental roles, their lives are often subject to strict controls. For example, Iranian law mandates women to don a hijab, a rule that exists solely in Iran and neighboring Afghanistan.

In her communication with The New York Times, Mohammadi noted that the “international endorsement and appreciation for my human rights endeavors intensify my commitment, sense of duty, fervor, and optimism.”

“I fervently hope this award galvanizes Iranians agitating for transformation, making them more resilient and coordinated. Triumph is imminent,” she further commented.

According to Reiss-Andersen, Mohammadi has been detained 13 times and found guilty on five separate occasions, accumulating a total of 31 years in prison sentences. She was most recently apprehended in 2021 for participating in a vigil for an individual who had perished during national protests triggered by a hike in fuel prices.

Mohammadi is currently held at Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, notorious for housing political dissidents and those with affiliations to the West. She has been an active critic of the pervasive physical and sexual mistreatment of female inmates, both within and outside the prison walls.

This marks the 19th occasion a woman has received the Nobel Peace Prize, with Mohammadi being the second Iranian woman to be so honored; the first was human rights advocate Shirin Ebadi in 2003.

This year marks the fifth instance in the 122-year history of the Nobel Prizes that an incarcerated or house-arrested individual has been awarded the peace prize. Last year’s recipient list included Ales Bialiatski, a leading human rights activist from Belarus, who remains confined.

Mohammadi was imprisoned most recently for her activism concerning the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody, leading to one of the most severe challenges to Iran’s governing theocratic structure. Subsequent security crackdowns led to the death of over 500 individuals and the arrest of more than 22,000.

Prior to her incarcerations, Mohammadi held the position of vice president at Iran’s prohibited Defenders of Human Rights Center, which was founded by Ebadi, to whom she has close ties.

The Nobel Prizes include a monetary award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million), an 18-carat gold medal, and a diploma, all to be presented during the December ceremonies.

Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize also saw recipients from Ukraine and Russia, perceived as a critical censure of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of his incursion into Ukraine.

Other notable past laureates include Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the United Nations.

Contrary to other Nobel Prizes that are selected and announced in Stockholm, the peace prize is determined and conferred in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member independent panel appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.

This report has been updated for accuracy, correcting that Mohammadi was most recently detained in November 2021, rather than 2022.

Report by Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Corder in The Hague, Netherlands.

For ongoing coverage on Nobel Prizes, visit https://bigbignews.net/nobel-prizes.

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More about Nobel Peace Prize

• Nobel Peace Prize Official Website
• Narges Mohammadi Biography
• Overview of Women’s Rights in Iran
• The Norwegian Nobel Committee
• The Andrei Sakharov Prize
• PEN America Awards
• History of Nobel Prize Winners
• Evin Prison in Tehran
• The New York Times Coverage of Narges Mohammadi’s Nobel Win
• Nobel Prize Monetary Rewards and History