Current affairs

And the winner is...Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi is awarded prestigious Nobel Peace Prize!

By alagu, 06 October, 2023
Nobel Prize, Nobel Peace Prize, Iran

The Nobel Peace Prize has been regarded as one of the prestigious global honours, awarded to the institutions and activists that fought for peace and justice and against tyranny. The Peace Prize award would always be closely watched by the world and would have a list of contenders including world leaders. After announcing this year's winners of Nobel Prize in the areas of Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Literature, the winner of the Peace Prize has now been unveiled. 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced that Iranian human rights activist 51-year-old Narges Mohammadi has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2023. Though she deserves the prize, her voice for women's rights and freedom is in plight and we can unequivocally say that this prestigious honour would confer more power to her and her voice. Unlike the laureates of other Nobel prizes who can comment freely about their journey and contributions, the voice of Narges has been supressed by the Iranian regime. 

Currently, Narges Mohammadi is serving incarceration in Iran for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Selecting Narges as the recipient of the Peace Prize, the committee took to social media and wrote, "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all." 

Announcing Narges as the winner, Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said, "Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the (Iranian) regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison, and 154 lashes, (a corporal punishment in Iran that are often carried out in public)." 

"Ms. Mohammadi is still in prison as I speak", Andersen added. Narges Mohammadi has been lodged in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison and she has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting against oppression of women in Iran when the country had witnessed an uprising last year that was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the country's morality police. Amini was arrested under the charges of not wearing her headscarf properly. 

Besides honouring her with the Nobel Peace Prize, the committee has also urged the Iranian regime to release Narges Mohammadi. Berit Reiss-Andersen said, "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. If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her so that she can be present to receive this honour in December, which is what we primarily hope for." 

The Nobel Peace Prize will be presented in Oslo, Norway on December 10 during the death anniversary of Swedist industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the award. The recipient of the Prize will also be conferred with around $1 million cash reward.

Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation 'Centre for Civil Liberties'. Notably, Narges Mohammadi is the first woman in two years to win the Nobel Peace Prize as in 2021, Philippine activist Maria Ressa won the prize jointly with Russia's Dmitry Muratov.  

 

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