Nobel Peace Prize awarded to jailed Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
“Good deeds, being a good person, doing the right thing, is what we are looking for” said Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the five-member committee that annually selects the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The 51-year-old, Iran-born feminist initially criticised her government’s violations of women’s rights via a student newspaper, leading to her first two arrests at meetings for a political student group. Since then, Mohammadi’s actions have led to her arrest in a total of thirteen instances. She has also received multiple accusations from the Iranian government, such as “spreading propaganda against the system" and “toppling the regime.” These arrests have come with various penalties, including five convictions, a total sentence of 31 years, and an estimated 154 lashes.
Mohammadi’s most recent arrest came in 2021 when she was arrested while attending a memorial for Ebrahim Ketabdar, a protester killed by Iranian security forces in 2019. This arrest carries a 10-year sentence; Ms Mohammadi is currently carrying out this sentence at the Evin prison in Tehran, Iran, a primary holding site for political prisoners. This current sentence deprives Ms Mohammadi of all basic liberties, including being forbidden to see her husband of 24 years, journalist Taghi Rahmani, and their two children.
Despite the Iranian government’s attempts to silence, hurt, and alienate Mohammadi, she continues to speak against the persecution of women and autocratic violations. For instance, in 2022, a report of her experiences with “white torture”, the extensive use of solitary confinement she and many other political prisoners are punished by, was published at the Masha Amini protests. Her reports detail how 57 women within the Evin prison experienced a total of 8350 days within solitary confinement.
Mohammadi’s unrelenting criticisms and acts of civil disobedience have produced international praise and support for her cause. Yet, the Iran foreign ministry has attacked the Nobel committee’s choice, labelling it “biased and political.” Similarly, IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) believes the choice of Ms Mohammadi as the recipient to be an “interventionist” attempt to “politicise the concept of human rights.”
Despite the opposition, the Nobel Committee believes that the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize is a recognition of the thousands of people who have fearlessly joined Mohammadi in her long efforts to protest the Iranian government’s use of the death penalty, inhumane prison conditions, and the discrimination and oppression of women.