Know All About Imprisoned Nobel Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi Who Has To Wait Another Day For The Good News

In a post shared on her official handle on the social media site, X, Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi would have to wait another day to hear the good news. "Thank you, everyone, for your beautiful heartwarming messages as you may know it is impossible to make a phone call in Evin prison for political prisoners of the women's ward on Fridays and Thursdays so we have to wait until tomorrow to hear from Narges and give her the good news", the post reads.

Imprisoned activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, 6th October for fighting the oppression of women in Iran.

What the Norwegian Nobel Committee said:

As per a news report on Fox8, Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee who announced the prize in Oslo said, "This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with its undisputed leader, Nargis Mohammadi,"

Andersen also shared that the committee hopes that the prize comes as an encouragement to continue the movement. "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." iterated Andersen.

Who is Narges Mohammadi and why is she behind bars?

Narges Mohammadi has faced significant persecution, including multiple arrests and convictions, as well as a total prison sentence of 31 years. Reiss-Andersen reportedly said that Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times.

51-year-old Narges Mohammadi who currently remains lodged in Tehran's Evin Prison is the deputy director of Defenders of Human Rights Center. Her most recent arrest came in the wake of nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody after being detained by Iran's morality police.

The death of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent protests marked one of the most intense challenges to Iran's theocratic regime since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. As per reports, more than 500 people lost their lives, reflecting the severity of the government's response to the protests. Additionally, over 22,000 individuals were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, highlighting the scale of the government's efforts to suppress dissent.

Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi has continued to advocate for human rights and women's rights. She even authored an opinion piece for The New York Times from behind bars, emphasizing the resilience of those who stand up against oppression. "What the government may not understand is that the more of us they lock up, the stronger we become," she wrote as quoted by a report in Fox8.

Narges Mohammadi is the 19th woman to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman to win the award, following human rights activist Shirin Ebadi in 2003. Her recognition marks the fifth instance in the 122-year history of the Nobel Peace Prize that the award has been given to someone who is in prison or under house arrest.

Some interesting facts about Narges Mohammadi's past:

Educational and Engineering Background: Mohammadi holds a degree in physics and began her career as an engineer. During her academic years, she emerged as an advocate for equality and women's rights, contributing to the student newspaper. She was also arrested at two meetings of a political student group and lost her engineering position in 2009 due to a jail sentence.

Journalism: Narges Mohammadi worked as a journalist for several reformist publications and actively campaigned for various causes, including the abolition of the death penalty, women's rights, and the right to protest.

Author and Essayist: She authored numerous articles advocating for social reforms in Iran and published an essay collection titled "The Reforms, the Strategy, and the Tactics." Her book "White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners" received recognition, winning an award for reportage at the International Film Festival and Human Rights Forum.

Activism and Imprisonment: Mohammadi's activism led to her first arrest in 2011. She was sentenced to many years of imprisonment for her efforts to assist incarcerated activists and their families.

Marriage and Family: She married fellow activist and writer Taghi Rahmani in 1999, shortly before Rahmani's first arrest. They have twin children who currently reside in France. While Rahmani relocated after serving 14 years of prison sentences in Iran, Narges Mohammadi remained to continue her work.

Defenders of Human Rights Center: She joined the Ebadi-led Defenders of Human Rights Center in 2003 and eventually became the organization's vice president. This group, a member of the International Federation for Human Rights, received the 2003 Human Rights Award of the French National Commission of Human Rights.

Awards and Recognition: Mohammadi has received various awards and honors over the years, including the Alexander Langer Award in 2009, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, and the Olof Palme Prize earlier in 2023. Shirin Ebadi dedicated her 2010 Felix Ermacora Human Rights Award to Narges Mohammadi.