Imprisoned Iranian women’s rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, has won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
She was awarded the prestigious prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.
The committee chair, Berit Reiss-Andersen, said at the prize announcement in Oslo.
Mohammadi is one of the best-known human rights activists in Iran and has been imprisoned several times.
Currently, the 51-year-old is serving a long sentence in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran.
In late 2022, during the nationwide uprising against Iran’s power apparatus, Mohammadi brought to light a report that revealed alleged torture of dozens of women in the maximum security prison.
“This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with its undisputed leader Narges Mohammadi,’’ Reiss-Andersen said at a news conference following the announcement.
Asked by reporters about the potential impact of the prize on its winner, Reiss-Andersen said: “The impact of the prize is not for the Nobel Committee to decide upon.
“We hope that it is an encouragement to continue the work in whichever form this movement finds to be fitting.’’
Asked whether Mohammadi would be allowed to leave the Evin prison to accept the award when it is formally presented in December, Reiss-Andersen said she hoped this would be the case.
“If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her so she can be present to receive this honour, which is what we primarily hope for.’’
However, some 259 personalities and 92 organisations were in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
The total number of 351 candidates was the second highest ever.
The nominees are traditionally kept secret.
The Nobel Peace Prize is considered the world’s most important political prize.
Since it was first awarded in 1901, more than 140 individuals and organisations have now received it.
In 2022, the imprisoned Belarusian human rights lawyer, Ales Bjaljazki, and the human rights organisations Memorial from Russia and the Centre for Civil Liberties from Ukraine were awarded the prize.
Swedish dynamite inventor and prize donor Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) stated in his will his desire to create the prize.
The Peace Prize is the only one that is not awarded in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, but in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
Prize winners in the categories of medicine, physics, chemistry and literature were announced earlier this week in Stockholm.
The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences would be announced on Monday to conclude this year’s prize announcements.
All awards this year were endowed with 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) per category, 1 million kronor more than in previous years.
They are traditionally presented on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.
