Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 announced
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 has been announced (Photo: Getty Images)
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced in Oslo the laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023. The award has been given to Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, according to the Nobel Foundation's press service.
What is known about Narges Mohammadi
Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist and the Center for Human Rights Defenders (DHRC) vice president, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi.
In May 2016, she was sentenced to 16 years in Tehran for creating and leading a "human rights movement advocating for the abolition of the death penalty."
In 2022, the BBC included her in the list of 100 women from around the world who inspire and influence the world.
During massive protests in Iran triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who died after being arrested by the "morality police" for "publicly violating Iranian hijab rules," Narges sent a letter from Evin Prison, urging the UN to prevent the Iranian government from sentencing protesters to execution.
While on bail, Narges delivered a speech criticizing the treatment of prisoners in Evin. Her documentary film "White Torture" explores solitary confinement based on interviews with 16 former prisoners. Two of her children live in exile with her husband, political activist Taghi Rahmani.
Nobel Peace Prize: key facts
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded annually since 1901 for outstanding contributions to preserving peace.
According to Alfred Nobel's will, it is awarded to individuals who have achieved tremendous success or have done more than others in promoting unity among nations, reducing the number of active armies, and organizing peace congresses.
The selection of laureates is made annually in October by the Nobel Committee, and the award ceremony takes place on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
Each laureate receives a diploma, a Nobel Prize medal, and a monetary reward of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $101,400).
Other information:
This year, 351 candidates (259 individuals and 92 organizations) were competing for the prize, the second-highest number in the award's history. The record was set in 2016 when 376 candidates were nominated.
Since its inception from 1901 to 2022, the Peace Prize has been awarded 103 times, with 110 laureates.
The youngest laureate was Pakistani feminist Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 years old when she was awarded the prize in 2014. The oldest was British physicist Joseph Rotblat, who received the award in 1995 at 87.
Peace Prize and Russians:
For two consecutive years, among the laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize were representatives of Russia, which has been conducting a full-scale aggressive war against Ukraine for more than a year and a half.
In 2022, the Nobel Committee split the prize among Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia representatives. The laureates were the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, imprisoned Belarusian journalist Ales Bialiatski, and the Russian human rights organization "Memorial."
This decision caused a scandal and controversy. The Nobel Committee claimed to "want to honor three outstanding fighters for human rights, democracy, and peaceful coexistence in the neighboring countries of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine." The Ukrainian representative responded that the committee's decision had nothing to do with the Russian narrative of "brotherly nations."
Scandal in 2023
Earlier, the Nobel Foundation announced its intention to invite diplomats from all states accredited in Sweden (including Russian and Belarusian diplomats) to a banquet on this year's awards in Stockholm.
Specifically, five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded annually in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, where separate ceremonies occur. The ceremonies are scheduled for December 10.
However, due to the expected criticism from Swedish politicians, the Nobel Foundation reconsidered inviting Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to the awards ceremony.
Reactions from Ukrainian MFA
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to this decision, thanking everyone who demanded justice. They are convinced that a similar decision should be made regarding Russian and Belarusian ambassadors in Oslo.
Zelenskyy and Navalny were considered as candidates
On the eve of the Nobel Week, several Western media outlets wrote that among the likely favorites for the Peace Prize were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who is currently imprisoned.
Interestingly, both have been mentioned for the second year in a row as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, experts noted that the chances of Zelensky and Navalny winning the prize are slim. Sky News wrote, "Zelenskyy is a wartime leader, and last year, the committee focused on Russia, which reduced the chances of both."
Other candidates
Bookmakers also named imprisoned Uighur activist Ilham Tohti as the favorite. Potential nominees included environmental activists Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate.
Experts also did not rule out that the winner could be imprisoned Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, Chinese artist and activist Peng Liyuan, Iranian women's rights advocate Masih Alinejad, and Amazon rainforest indigenous rights advocate Janny Silva.
Other potential candidates included international organizations such as the International Court, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, and the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC).
Nobel Week 2023
This year, the Nobel Week occurs from October 2 to October 9. Prizes have already been awarded in physiology and medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature, and the Peace Prize laureate has been announced.
Following Monday, October 9, the Economics Prize (officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel) will be announced.
