Physicist Narges Mohammadi Receives 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for Human Rights Activism

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2023 — The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”

“I want to commend the Nobel Peace Committee for acknowledging the inspiring, courageous, and stalwart work in which physicist, engineer, and defender of human rights, Narges Mohammadi has been engaged,” said Michael Moloney, AIP Chief Executive Officer. “Ms. Mohammadi has been recognized across the world for her efforts to advocate for the rights of women, prisoners of conscience, and others. Today all of AIP joins others across the globe in reflecting on our hope that this recognition will let Ms. Mohammadi know the world has not forgotten her voice and the voices of those she advocates for.”

Despite numerous arrests and imprisonment, Narges Mohammadi works to protect vulnerable groups as the co-founder of the Women’s Civil Center, former spokesperson and vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, and president of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Peace in Iran. She advocates for women, minority populations, and prisoners of conscience through articles, protests, and vigils for people facing the death penalty.

Mohammadi was born in Iran and earned a degree in physics from Imam Khomeini International University. Even as an undergraduate student, Mohammadi advocated for human rights, writing for the student newspaper and participating in political groups.

Throughout the course of her ensuing career as an engineer, journalist, and activist, Mohammadi faced legal and violent repercussions for her activism. She has been arrested 13 times and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison by the Iranian government. She is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Tehran.

In awarding Mohammadi this year’s peace prize, the Nobel Committee honors those who participate in the fight for human rights, freedom, and democracy in Iran.

Mohammadi has won multiple awards for her activism, including the 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize of the American Physical Society “for her leadership in campaigning for peace, justice, and the abolition of the death penalty and for her unwavering efforts to promote the human rights and freedoms of the Iranian people, despite persecution that has forced her to suspend her scientific pursuits and endure lengthy incarceration.”

Past physicists who have won the Nobel Peace Prize include Andrei Sakharov and Joseph Rotblat.

About AIP
The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics ) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP is a federation that advances the success of our 10 Member Societies and an institute that operates as a center of excellence supporting the physical sciences enterprise. In its role as an institute, AIP uses policy analysis, social science, and historical research to promote future progress in the physical sciences. AIP is a 501(c)(3) membership corporation of scientific societies.

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