‘Biased, political’: Iran condemns Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi

After the announcement of Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian rights activist Narges Mohammadi, Iranian government, on Friday, criticised. The government called it a ‘biased and political’ action by the Nobel committee.

“We note that the Nobel Peace Committee awarded the Peace Prize to a person who was convicted of repeated violations of laws and criminal acts,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.

“We condemn this biased and political move,” said the Iranian government in its statement.

Who is Narges Mohammadi

Narges Mohammadi has been fighting for years against the oppression of women in Iran. He has become a symbol of the the battle for human rights in Iran. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 for her fight against women rights.

Fifty-one-year old Narges Mohammadi, has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison and has been banned from seeing her husband and children.

“Altogether, the Iranian regime has arrested the activist 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison, and 154 lashes,” Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said at the announcement ceremony.

Although it is not certain whether Mohammadi has got to know about her award, her family’s reaction to the recognition has been positive.

Despite strict punishment to women activist in Iran, Mohammadi said she would stay in Iran to continue her activism “even if she spend the rest of her life in prison.”

“Standing alongside the brave mothers of Iran, I will continue to fight against the relentless discrimination, tyranny, and gender-based oppression by the oppressive religious government until the liberation of women,” CNN quoted Mohammadi as saying.

Her husband Taghi Rahmani is a fellow aactivist and former political prisoner who served a total of 14 years in regime jails lives in exile in France with their twin children.

“This prize is not just for Narges; it is for all the people of Iran. A movement in which Iranian women and men took to the streets, stood for months, and fought to show that they will continue to struggle for democracy and civil equality,” CNN quoted Rahmani as saying.