Copenhagen, Oct 6 (EFE).- The Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 has been awarded to Iranian activist and journalist Narges Mohammadi for her unwavering dedication to “fight against the oppression of women” in the Islamic republic, the Norwegian award committee said on Friday.
“Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a press statement.
The 51-year-old Iranian activist has been arrested 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.
“Mohammadi is still in prison as I speak,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Nobel panel that announced the prize in Oslo.
In awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize, the committee said it honored “her courageous fight for human rights, freedom, and democracy in Iran.”
The award to Mohammadi follows a Nobel tradition of giving the Peace Prize to those “working to advance social justice, human rights, and democracy,” the committee said. “These are important preconditions for lasting peace.”
The committee recalled Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who was allegedly killed in the custody of the Iranian morality police in September last year.
Amini’s death triggered widespread political demonstrations against Iran’s theocratic regime since it came to power in 1979.
Under the slogan “Woman – Life – Freedom,” Iranians took to the streets to denounce the brutality and oppression faced by women in the country.
The Iranian government responded to the protests with a heavy crackdown, resulting in the deaths of over 500 demonstrators, thousands of injuries (including many people blinded by rubber bullets fired by the police), and the arrest of at least 20,000 people.
“The motto adopted by the demonstrators – ‘Woman – Life – Freedom’ – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Mohammadi,” the Nobel committee said.
“She fights for women against systematic discrimination and oppression,” it said, adding that the activist “supports women’s struggle for the right to live full and dignified lives.”
“She fights for freedom of expression and the right to independence, and against rules requiring women to remain out of sight and to cover their bodies.”
Mohammadi was awarded the Guillermo Cano Prize for Press Freedom by UNESCO this year and received the Courage Award from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2022.
Mohammadi, who has worked for various publications for years, is also deputy head of the NGO Center for Human Rights Defenders in Tehran.
Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi continues to shed light on the deplorable conditions of prisoners in Iran through numerous articles, even as she endures alleged mistreatment and torture. EFE
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