The Norwegian Nobel Committee has honored Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi with the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. She is for her tireless advocacy against the oppression of women in Iran and her dedicated pursuit of human rights and freedom for all.
Born in 1972 in Iran, Mohammadi currently resides in a detention facility, facing charges of “spreading anti-state propaganda” and defamation. Her journey in activism began with the Iranian Revolution, culminating in the establishment of an Islamic republic in 1979.
Two poignant childhood memories shaped Mohammadi’s path towards activism: her mother’s visits to her imprisoned brother and witnessing daily announcements of executed prisoners on TV.
While studying nuclear physics in Qazvin, she met her politically active husband, Taghi Rahmani, who later faced imprisonment. He now resides in exile in France with their two children.
Mohammadi’s dedication to the cause of Iranian women’s rights, opposition to harsh penalties for political protestors, and her writings in local newspapers have been consistent throughout her life. Despite facing professional setbacks directed by the government, she persevered.
In the 2000s, she joined the Center for Human Rights Defenders in Iran, founded by renowned Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003. Mohammadi’s unwavering activism led to multiple convictions, arrests, and harsh sentences.
Even within prison, she rallied fellow female inmates in protests against the government. In 2022, her book ‘White Torture’, chronicling life in solitary confinement and featuring interviews with fellow Iranian women, was published.
Beyond the Nobel Peace Prize, Mohammadi has received other prestigious awards in the West, including the 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the 2023 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
Notably, she was also featured in the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide in 2022. Mohammadi’s courageous endeavors resonate as a beacon of hope for freedom and equality in Iran and beyond.
