Nobel Prize Honors Narges Mohammadi for Women’s Rights and Freedom

Narges Mohammadi, a women’s rights activist and prominent critic of the Iranian regime, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023. Awarding this prize to a political prisoner of the Iranian government sparked widespread international reactions.

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee announced on Friday, October 6th, that Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Prize for her efforts against “the suppression of women” in Iran and her endeavours to “achieve human rights and freedom for all.”

Narges Mohammadi is currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, one of the most notorious prisons in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and this government has detained her 13 times and sentenced her to various punishments five times over the past two decades. Ms Mohammadi has been sentenced to 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Nobel Committee in Norway, stated when announcing the prize to Narges Mohammadi, “She has borne a very high personal cost for her courageous struggle.”

Awarding the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize to this Iranian women’s rights activist garnered widespread international reactions. U.S. President Joe Biden praised Narges Mohammadi’s efforts as “unyielding courage” and described her imprisonment by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran as “unjust,” calling for her release.

On the other hand, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Nobel Prize awarded to Narges Mohammadi, calling it a “disappointing deviation” by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, wrote on his Twitter page that the most deserving symbol of global peace was General Soleimani. General Soleimani, or Qassem Soleimani, was the second-in-command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, who the United States killed.

Naser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a person who has repeatedly violated laws and committed criminal acts.”

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, welcomed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi and stated that “awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi this year is an appreciation of the women’s movement, life, and freedom.”

Continuing with the reactions, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, also welcomed the award of this prize to Narges Mohammadi, considering her a worthy choice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Narges Mohammadi, a women’s rights activist and prisoner, on Friday, signifies respect for all women who risk their rights, freedom, health, and even their lives in the fight for their rights.

Civil society activists, especially women’s rights activists in Afghanistan, also welcomed the award of this prize to Narges Mohammadi.

Fawzia Koofi, a former member of the Afghan Parliament and a women’s rights advocate, congratulated Narges Mohammadi on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and added, “I want Afghan citizens like Julia Parsi, Matiullah Wesa, and Zarifah Yaqubi to be on the list of winners of this prize.”

Who is Narges Mohammadi, and what do we know about her activism and personal life?

Narges Mohammadi comes from a farming family and has become one of the most prominent critics of the Iranian government. She began her civil activism during her university years and tasted the bitterness of prison. She then tried to continue her civil activities through writing in the media.

She was a member of the “Defenders of Human Rights Center” and was arrested in 2009 when she was working as the spokesperson for this centre. She experienced solitary confinement in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After that, Narges Mohammadi’s name became one of the most outspoken critics of the Iranian government.

During her activism, she became acquainted with Taqi Rahmani, someone who opposed the policies of the Islamic Republic and had years of experience in prison. The acquaintance of these two individuals led to their marriage, and they became parents of “twins.”

Her children were only two and a half years old when Narges Mohammadi first tasted prison life. She was a staunch opponent of the death penalty in Iran and advocated for the gradual abolition of this punishment.

Later, her criticism of the Islamic Republic’s performance became more intense, and she raised the “transition from the Islamic Republic government.” The Nobel Peace Prize Committee considered Narges Mohammadi’s detention unfair and added that, due to her imprisonment, they could not get her reaction to this news.

This is the second Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Iranian women; before this, Shirin Ebadi, the head of the Human Rights Center, was awarded this prize in 2003 for promoting democracy and human rights.

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