The Norwegian Nobel Committee has issued an urgent public statement expressing grave concern over reported threats to 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, allegedly made by agents of the Iranian regime.
In a phone call with Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Narges Mohammadi said she received both direct and indirect warnings—through her lawyers and other channels—of possible “physical elimination” unless she halts her public advocacy, according to a statement posted on the official X account of the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I have been directly and indirectly threatened with 'physical elimination' by agents of the regime,” Mohammadi reportedly told Frydnes, according to the statement.
The Committee said the threats were explicitly aimed at forcing the jailed activist to withdraw from all forms of public engagement within Iran and cease international advocacy or media appearances related to democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression.
Nobel Committee urges Iran to protect dissenters
The Nobel Committee, which awarded Mohammadi the Peace Prize last year for her “fight against the oppression of women in Iran” and efforts to promote human rights, called on Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of Mohammadi and others facing similar threats.
{{/usCountry}}The Nobel Committee, which awarded Mohammadi the Peace Prize last year for her “fight against the oppression of women in Iran” and efforts to promote human rights, called on Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of Mohammadi and others facing similar threats.
{{/usCountry}}“The Norwegian Nobel Committee is deeply concerned about the threats against Narges Mohammadi and, more broadly, all Iranian citizens with a critical voice, and call upon the authorities to safeguard not only their lives, but also their freedom of expression,” said Frydnes in the official statement.
Mohammadi, who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence in Iran, has become a symbol of resistance within the country’s women-led protest movement. The Committee's statement comes amid growing international scrutiny over Iran’s treatment of political prisoners and human rights defenders.
The 53-year-old activist has faced multiple trials and imprisonment due to her outspoken activism against Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty and its compulsory hijab laws for women.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to challenge the systemic oppression of women in Iran. As she remained behind bars, her children accepted the prize on her behalf.