‘Pointless virtue signaling’: Russian experts weigh in after 2023 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Iranian activist

The decision to honor jailed fighter for women's rights Narges Mohammadi has divided opinion

Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, last Friday. This was announced by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which noted that the award is “for her fight against the oppression of women” and for the “fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”

In addition to Narges, this year's Nobel Peace Prize was also awarded to “hundreds of thousands of people” who spoke out against discrimination and the oppression of women in Iran in the past year. “The motto adopted by the demonstrators – ‘Woman – Life – Freedom’ – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi, the Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen, outlined.

Narges Mohammadi was detained by the Iranian authorities 13 times and was convicted five times. She has been sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and is currently behind bars. 

“She fights for freedom of expression and the right of independence, and against rules requiring women to remain out of sight and to cover their bodies. The freedom demands expressed by demonstrators apply not only to women, but to the entire population. She supports women’s struggle for the right to live full and dignified lives,” said Reiss-Andersen.

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Lana Fadai-Ravandi, Head of the Oriental Cultural Center at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences:

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi is a direct show of support for the Iranian opposition. The Iranian authorities consider her activities irreconcilable with Muslim commandments and, of course, view this award as a hostile step. Particularly since they are tightening their policy both in regard to the opposition and to women on wearing the hijab. Last month, the Iranian Parliament passed a law that increased punishment for violating the Culture of Chastity. 

I think opinions in Iran are divided regarding Narges Mohammadi. When I was in Iran myself, I received reprimands, mostly from women (concerning the hijab). Iranian women associate the hijab with chastity. But there are also women who do not want to wear it, who prefer the Western way of life. 

I don't suppose that the awarding of the Nobel Prize will affect the situation inside Iran. Currently we’re hearing a lot about the girl who was hospitalized after being detained for not wearing a hijab. If she recovers, things will remain calm in Iran. The authorities have been able to control the situation with the protests. Moreover, compared to last year, the economic situation has slightly improved. But if the girl dies, this may spur new protests. 

Andrey Kortunov, Academic Director of the Russian International Affairs Council:

There is indeed a certain logic behind the decisions of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Looking back at the example of past years, the laureates have been human rights activists from countries shaken by protests, where societies were polarized. Of course, the situation in Iran has attracted wide attention– especially after 2022, when the protest movement erupted, particularly around women’s rights.  Therefore, the decision [of the Nobel committee] is hardly surprising. 

If the goal is to somehow protect the laureate, to provide certain guarantees of inviolability for her, this likely won’t happen, since we’re talking about Iran. This country has its own culture. I don't think that the decision of the Nobel Committee can somehow change this woman’s fate. 

I believe that the Nobel Committee’s decision is politicized to a certain extent. Iran will most likely say that it is aimed at undermining the country’s foundations and traditional culture. And in the West this situation will be used to once again stigmatize the Ayatollah's regime as undemocratic, repressive, and medieval. It will become another reason to draw a line between liberal democracies and illiberal autocracies.

Political analyst Alexey Makarkin for Telegram channel Bunin&Co:

The Norwegian Nobel Committee demonstrates that in addition to Russia and Ukraine, there are other countries that interest the human rights community. Iran is one of them. Another important factor is geographical and gender diversity – we’ve seen this with former female laureates from Islamic nations, human rights activists such as Tawakkol Karman (Yemen), Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan), and looking a bit further back, Shirin Ebadi (Iran).

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The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Narges Mohammadi is more controversial than the previous Iranian “women's” prize, awarded to Shirin Ebadi in 2003. At that time, reformist Muhammad Khatami was President of Iran, and Ebadi wasn’t imprisoned. Awarding the prize to Ebadi was a sign of supporting the reform movement against the conservatives. Now, the situation is completely different – the conservatives are in power, and Mohammadi is incarcerated in the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran. 

The Nobel Peace Prize remains both “Western” and “global.” It is Western because it has been established and is awarded by representatives of Western culture – and for this reason the new laureate will not be welcomed by the authorities of either Tehran, Moscow, or Beijing (especially since the decision to accept Iran into BRICS). However, firstly, there is still no influential non-Western alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize. The USSR attempted to establish the International Stalin (later Lenin) Prize “for Strengthening Peace Between Peoples” but its effect was limited. And secondly, as a result of global media and the Internet, the issue of protecting women's rights and the freedom of speech has spread far beyond the territory of the “geographical” West. As for Iranian society, it is divided – while some consider Mohammadi a traitor, for others she is a heroine. 

International journalist, political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov on Telegram channel “Russia in Global Politics”:

This is a very “traditional” decision for the Nobel Committee, which usually comes under fire for awarding the prize to politicians. Particularly in the present times. Today, almost any political leader who is awarded a Nobel Peace Prize may soon find themselves at war with someone. In this regard, political activists are a safer bet. 

In former times, the [Nobel committee’s] decision would’ve had a significant impact on the internal affairs of the country in question. Now, this is not necessarily true. External moral assessments, which were once considered universally true and could not be ignored, are now perceived differently. And sometimes they are just ignored. Such are the consequences of multipolarity and ethical pluralism.

Natalya Markushina, Professor of the Department of World Politics, Faculty of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University:

In recent years, the prize has been awarded mainly to human rights activists and public figures. In this way, an attempt is made to avoid the scandals that sometimes accompany the awarding of prizes to politicians, as was the case with former US President Barack Obama. Therefore, a softer option was chosen – to award the prize to people who fight for human rights. This fits into the logic of the prize itself and corresponds to Nobel’s will.

(Alfred Nobel’s will stipulated the prize is for “someone who will make a significant contribution to the unity of peoples, the elimination or reduction of the number of standing armies, or to the development of peace initiatives.” - RT.)

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But in general, the current situation with awarding the prize is quite complicated. It was previously awarded to Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, but the difference between Narges and Shirin is quite large. Shirin was at large, Mohammad Khatami was the president at the time, and the context itself was different - this step by the Nobel Committee was seen as support for the changes that were then taking place. Although Khatami himself viewed the prize as an instrument of political pressure on the state. Narges is now in prison, and the authorities' position is different. By awarding her the prize, the committee is demonstrating its support for the Iranian opposition. It is no coincidence that in their statement, representatives of the committee noted that the prize is dedicated not only to Narges, but also to “hundreds of thousands of people” who protested against discrimination and oppression of women in Iran. That is, the committee representatives clearly indicated that they support this protest movement. This is exactly how this decision is assessed in Iran itself: this is a step in support of the opposition, against Iranian policy, some kind of unfriendly message towards the republic.

It is clear that the Iranian authorities will not change their policy. But the Nobel Committee also demonstrates that it has little interest in Iran’s position: it adheres to its values and will continue to support human rights activists. In general, it is worth noting that recently the committee’s policy has been aimed at protecting women’s rights and supporting human rights defenders. It is no coincidence that this year the choice of who would receive the award was between another Iranian women's rights activist, Masih Alinejad, and Afghan human rights activist Mahbuda Seraj.