Nobel Peace Prize 2023: imprisoned Narges Mohammadi wins for fighting oppression against women in Iran

The winner of the Noble Peace Prize has been announced as Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said: “This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with with its undisputed leader, Narges Mohammadi. 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.”

Ms Mohammadi is a notable activist for issues such as women's rights, democracy and the death penalty in her home country of Iran. She is currently incarcerated at one of Terhan's most notorious prisons, Evin Prison. The activist was detained in 2019 after attending a memorial for a person killed in nationwide protests in 2019.

Ms Reiss-Andersen told the audience at the announcement in Oslo that Ms Mohammadi has been arrested 13 times in her life and convicted on five of those arrests. Over the course of all of her convictions, she has been sentenced to a total of 31 years in jail.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was freed from custody in Iran in March 2022 after being arrested on spying charges. She spent time with Ms Mohammadi during her time in Evin prison, which houses political prisoners and those with Western ties. Speaking to the BBC, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe said: "She did so much for all of us in Evin. Narges is an inspiration and a pillar to the women in the female ward in Evin for her fearless fight against violation of women’s rights, use of solitary confinement and execution in the judicial system in Iran. This award belongs to every single Iranian woman who, one way or another, has been and remains a victim of injustice in Iran."

As of yet, there has been no reaction from Iranian state television and other state-controlled media.

Ms Mohammadi was incarcerated during the recent spate of protests following the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody. The death sparked major demonstrations in the country, with 500 people killed and 22,000 people arrested during the course of the protests.

Howevcer she wrote about the situation from behind bars for the New York Times. She said: “What the government may not understand is that the more of us they lock up, the stronger we become."