Nobel Peace Prize winner fights for women, life and freedom for all
Narges Mohammadi, the recipient of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, was born in Iran in 1972. For the past 45 years, the country has been governed by an authoritarian regime. As a consequence of her activism, Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times, convicted five times and sentenced to 31 years in jail and 154 lashes with a whip. According to the Nobel Committee, she won the award for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her efforts to promote human rights and freedom for all.”
Raised in a middle-class family, Mohammadi looked forward to a bright future. Everything changed after the Islamic revolution in 1979, when she witnessed her activist uncle and two cousins being taken away by the police on political charges. Subsequently, she found herself caught up in the wave of political unrest.
Throughout Mohammadi’s life, she has faced multiple arrests. One of these occurred in 2011, when she was sentenced to 11 years in jail. After being released on bail two years later, Mohammadi began to campaign against the use of the death penalty, which led to her being arrested and sentenced again in 2015. However, her time in jail hasn’t stopped her efforts, and she still opposes the regime’s violence against political prisoners, especially women.
The announcement of Mohammadi being awarded the prize followed a year of protests in Iran. These activities were triggered by the death of 22year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her headscarf correctly in September 2022. The Nobel Committee stated that the prize was also for Amini, the 500 demonstrators killed in the protests and the thousands who were injured. Mohammadi refuses to be silenced even in prison, and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize has only strengthened her resolve to continue fighting for human rights.