Oslo: Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate imprisoned in Iran, had her absence acknowledged on Sunday as her children, Ali and Kiana, received the award on her behalf.
In a speech read by her twins, Mohammadi denounced Iran's government, calling it "tyrannical" and "anti-women."
Mohammadi, detained since 2021 for her activism against Iran's compulsory hijab rule and the death penalty, sent her message from Tehran's Evin prison. She praised the Iranian people's determination, expressing confidence that they will overcome oppression.
The symbolic gesture of an empty chair, displaying her portrait, marked her absence at the ceremony. Mohammadi has been a prominent figure in the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, which arose following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman held by Iran's religious police for breaching the country's dress code.
Speaking before the Norwegian royal family and foreign dignitaries, Mohammadi criticised Iran's mandatory hijab policy as a tool for societal control rather than a religious or cultural practice. She highlighted government repression, lack of an independent judiciary, censorship, and corruption in Iran.
Despite the accolades in Oslo, Mohammadi, in solidarity with the Baha'i community, planned a hunger strike coinciding with the award ceremony. The Baha'i, Iran's largest religious minority, faces systemic discrimination.
Her detention marks the fifth instance in Nobel Peace Prize history where a laureate has been incarcerated. Mohammadi's struggle has been likened to the protracted fights against oppression by figures such as Albert Lutuli, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela during South Africa's apartheid.
Having been arrested multiple times and sentenced to 31 years in prison and 154 lashes, Mohammadi's activism continues despite her recurrent incarcerations. Her children, who haven't seen her for nearly nine years, are uncertain about their mother's future.
The aftermath of Amini's death has seen severe repression in Iran, with hundreds killed and numerous arrests. Additionally, Amini's family faced travel restrictions preventing their attendance at the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize ceremony.