6 October 2023

Iranian WHRD Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Peace Prize

Front Line Defenders sends its heartfelt congratulations to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Iranian woman human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who has long been unjustly imprisoned for her peaceful human rights work in defense of justice and freedom for women in Iran.

“This Nobel Peace Prize is a resounding recognition of Narges Mohammadi and other women human rights defenders who – at great cost to personal liberty – have courageously advocated for Iranian women to enjoy the full range of human rights and freedoms,” said Olive Moore, Interim Director at Front Line Defenders.

“Front Line Defenders has spent years advocating for an end to the Iranian authorities’ persecution and imprisonment of Narges Mohammadi. This Nobel Prize is a clear signal that the international community agrees – it is time to free Narges Mohammadi and all unjustly imprisoned human rights defenders.”

Narges Mohammadi is deputy director and spokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC) in Iran. She has advocated for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, as well as for prisoners’ rights.

As a direct result of her human rights work she has been imprisoned on several occasions since 1998, on trumped-up charges including “colluding against state security” and “propaganda against the state”.

In the face of relentless persecution by the Iranian authorities, Narges Mohammadi has remained a defiant champion of human rights and democracy in Iran. On her 50th birthday on 21 April 2022, she posted a pre-recorded video message of hope and solidarity, in which she said:

“Today, I am hopeful. The vast protest movements with labour rights calls among teachers, women and young people, give me hope. Of course we are being suppressed by the [Islamic Republic of Iran], but we believe that is the sign of my people’s power and resilience and the weakness of the oppressors.

“Therefore, today I am hopeful, content as I am returning to prison, I am smiling… Mostly encouraged by the support of the community of human rights defenders... you! Celebrating my 50th birthday, I renew my vow with you my dear human rights defenders, for engagement, resilience and perseverance until a democratic transition for the Iranian people with respect for their human rights. We will not give up until then! One day, we’ll chant victory songs together with joy and delight.”Narges Mohammadi has previously been awarded multiple other human rights prizes, including the Alexander Langer Award in 2009, the Per Anger Prize in 2011, the Olof Palme Prize in 2023, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2023, and the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award in 2023.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize was also awarded to three prominent human rights defenders - Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), Memorial (Russia) and Ales Bialiatski of Viasna (Belarus). Following this, in August this year, Front Line Defenders endorsed the Nobel Peace Center’s new Sunflower Declaration, a call to action to protect human rights defenders worldwide.

For more background on Narges Mohammadi, please visit: