Narges Mohammadi Wins 2023 Nobel Peace Prize

October 6, 2023

Illustration by Niklas Elmehed

Narges Mohammadi, Iranian human-rights activist and Vice President of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) in Iran, has been awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize.

“Her brave struggle has come with tremendous cost,” said Norwegian Nobel Committee Chair Berit Reiss-Andersen, outlining the years Ms. Mohammadi has spent in prison for her work on behalf of human rights and equality for women. “The Iranian regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her 5 times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. Mohammadi is still in prison.”

A few hours before the announcement, Ms. Mohammadi spoke out from her prison cell about sexual violence against women. She has been imprisoned for much of the last 20 years and is currently serving a 10-year sentence.

Journalist, essayist, and former professional engineer with a bachelor’s degree in physics, Ms. Mohammadi is the recipient of a number of other awards, including the Alexander Langer Award, the Andrei Sakharov Prize, and a share of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize was established by the will of Alfred Nobel and is awarded to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” At this year’s presentation, Ms. Berit Reiss-Andersen reiterated that the award offers “a universal message of what it takes to create peaceful societies,” regardless of which nominee is chosen to win.

JA was honored to again be considered alongside the other 2023 nominees. We’ll continue our critical work in helping millions of young people each year develop the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities, reduce poverty, and find solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.