2023 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi (born 1972) "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all." She is the second Nobel laureate from Iran after Shirin Ebadi won in 2003. As of the announcement of the prize, Mohammadi is still in prison in Iran.

Laureate

In the 1990s, as a young physics student, Mohammadi was already distinguishing herself as an advocate for equality and women's rights. After studies, she worked as an engineer as well as a columnist in various reform-minded newspapers. In 2003, she became involved with the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran, an organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. In 2011, she was arrested for the first time and sentenced to many years of imprisonment for her efforts to assist incarcerated activists and their families. Two years later, after her release on bail, she immersed herself in a campaign against use of the death penalty. Her activism against death penalty led to her re-arrest in 2015, and to a sentence of additional years behind walls. Upon her return to prison, she began opposing the regime's systematic use of torture and sexualized violence against political prisoners, especially women, that is practiced in Iranian prisons. The Mahsa Amini protests became known to the political prisoners held inside the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. Once again, she assumed leadership. From prison she expressed support for the demonstrators and organized solidarity actions among her fellow inmates. The prison authorities responded by imposing even stricter conditions and she was prohibited from receiving calls and visitors. From captivity, Mohammadi has helped to ensure that the protests have not ebbed out.

Candidates

On February 22, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that they had received 305 nominations for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, of which 212 are individuals and 93 are organizations. The number this year was fewer than the 343 candidates last year and the lowest since 2019. The highest number of candidates yet was in 2016. Though nominations are kept strictly secret, several Norwegian parliamentarians and other academics are privileged to publicly announce their preferred candidates to boost publicity both for the nominee and the nominator.

Prize committee

The following members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are responsible for the selection of the Nobel laureate(s) in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel:

• Berit Reiss-Andersen (chair, born 1954), advocate (barrister) and former President of the Norwegian Bar Association, former state secretary for the Minister of Justice and the Police (representing the Labour Party). Member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 2012, reappointed for the period 2018–2023.
• Asle Toje (vice chair, born 1974), foreign policy scholar. Appointed for the period 2018–2023.
• Anne Enger (born 1949), former Leader of the Centre Party and Minister of Culture. Member since 2018, reappointed for the period 2021–2026.
• Kristin Clemet (born 1957), former Minister of Government Administration and Labour and Minister of Education and Research. Appointed for the period 2021–2026.
• Jørgen Watne Frydnes (born 1984), former board member of Médecins Sans Frontières Norway, board member of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Appointed for the period 2021–2026.

Notes

References

External links

• The Nobel Peace Prize nobelpeaceprize.org