The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Iranian women's rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi.

The committee says she received the prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her efforts to promote human rights and freedom for all.

Who is Narges Mohammadi?

Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian campaigner and deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which was founded by fellow Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi.

The 51-year-old has received several jail sentences since 2011 and is currently being held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for "spreading propaganda".

This year she was also included in the BBC's 100 Women - a high profile list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world.

In awarding her the prize, the Nobel committee said Mohammadi's "brave struggle has come with tremendous personal cost".

"Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison," said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

Narges Mohammadi is "still in prison as I speak", she adds.

The Nobel Committee's decision to award its peace prize to Narges Mohammadi comes after more than a year of protests in the country spearheaded by women.

They were sparked in September 2022 after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old, died in the custody of Iran's notorious morality police.

The unrest rapidly spread across the country, with demands ranging from more freedoms to an overthrow of the state.

Images of Iranian women defiantly setting their headscarves on fire and chanting "women, life, freedom" captivated the world.

The authorities have brutally cracked down on the protests and they have largely subsided.

The Nobel committee mentions Mahsa Amini, whose death in Iranian custody last year triggered, as we just mentioned, a year of anti-government protests in the country.

The motto of the protests - "woman, life, freedom" - suitably expresses the dedicated work of Narges Mohammadi, said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

"She fights for women against systemic discrimination and oppression," she said, adding Mohammadi supports women's struggles to live "full and dignified lives".

In announcing the award a short time ago, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it hoped Iran would release Narges Mohammadi from jail so she can attend the prize ceremony in December.

Reactions

'An inspiration to the world' - UN leads tributes to prize winner

Reaction is now starting to come in for Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi.

The United Nations says the win is a tribute to the courage of Iranian women in the face of intimidation, harassment, violence and detentions.

"They've been harassed for what they do or don't wear," said spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell.

"There are increasingly stringent legal, social and economic measures against them. This really is something that highlights the courage and determination of the women of Iran and how they are an inspiration to the world."

Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, welcomed Mohammadi's win, adding: "We live in a very interconnected world. Right now, people in Iran are fighting for freedom. Our future depends on their success," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

And exiled Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya congratulated Mohammadi on her award, saying: "The imprisoned human rights activist is an inspiration to all, as she has refused to be silenced even behind bars. Like last year's laureate, Belarusian Ales Bialiatski, she must be set free."