Iran strongly criticized today the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Iranian activist Nargis Mohammadi, calling the selection “political and discriminatory”.

“We find that the Nobel Committee has awarded the Peace Prize to a person who has been convicted of repeated violations of laws and who has committed criminal acts,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.

“We condemn a biased and political decision,” Kanani added, stressing that “false claims were made about the developments in Iran in the Commission’s statement.”

The spokesman denounced “a political and interventionist action, in which some European governments are involved”.

As he stated, this award “is part of the continuation of the pressure exerted by Western circles against Iran”.

The award to the activist, who has been imprisoned since April 2022, was also criticized by local media.

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, the Nobel committee awarded “a woman who collaborated with terrorist groups” and “unknown in her country” mainly among Iranian women, with the aim of “politicizing the concept of human rights”.

The Tasnim news agency also described Mohammadi as a “convict” who had committed “subversive” activities.

Contrary to the local conservative media in Iran, some Iranian voices have expressed their support for the Nobel Peace laureate, such as actress Tarane Alidusti, who was arrested in January before being released three weeks later.

“Freedom will come with you, dear Nargis, a woman like you has no place in prison,” he declared.

Shirin Ebati, also an Iranian Nobel Peace laureate who was awarded the prize in 2003, said today that she hopes this year’s award to Nargis Mohammadi will bring democracy and equality to the women of Iran.

“I congratulate Nargis Mohammadi and all Iranian women for this award… This award will shed light on the violation of women’s rights in the Islamic Republic… which unfortunately has proven that it cannot be reformed,” Ebadi told the Reuters.

Imprisoned Iranian women’s rights activist Nargis Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize today, a prize seen as a rebuke to Tehran’s theocratic leaders and a boost to anti-government protesters.