Iranian Activist Narges Mohammadi Wins Nobel Peace Prize

“Narges Mohammadi paid a great personal price for her courageous struggle. The Iranian regime arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.” Guided by these motives, the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi. This Iranian women’s rights activist has been imprisoned in Evin Prison since 2016.

Her activity focuses on the fight against the oppression of women in Iran, as well as efforts to promote freedom and human rights. Born in 1972 in Zanjan, Mohammadi has a university degree in physics and has worked since 2003 for the Human Rights Defenders Center, an NGO founded by fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. She also campaigned for the rights of prisoners, including political prisoners, and for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran.

Nobel Committee President Berit Reiss-Andersen explained that the award is a call for the Iranian government to “listen to its people.” “We hope that this will serve as an incentive to continue the work in whatever form this movement sees fit,” she added.