When the Nobel Prizes were presented at Oslo's City Hall, Norway, on Sunday, December 10, 2023, Narges Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, was absent.
Nargis was thousand of miles away, in an Iranian prison, imprisoned by Tehran's tyrannical ayatollahs for her campaign against the oppression of women in the so-called Islamic republic and the fight for human rights and freedom for all.
The 51 year old was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment for establishing a human rights movement for the abolition of the death penalty in May 2016.
Though she was released in 2020, Nargis was sent back to prison in 2021.
Her teenage twins, Kiana and Ali Rahmani, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
IMAGE: Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi is currently on a hunger strike in Iran's Evian prison. Photograph: Mohammadi family/Handout/Reuters
IMAGE: Berit Reiss-Andersen, who heads the Nobel Committee, presents the Nobel Prize to Kiana and Ali Rahmani. Photograph: NTB/Javad Parsa/Reuters
IMAGE: Kiana and Ali, who are 17 and live in Paris with their father Taghi Ramani, accepted the award on their mother's behalf. Photograph: NTB/Fredrik Varfjell/Reuters
IMAGE: The empty chair between Kiana and Ali Rahmani is for their mother who wasn't present at the award ceremony. Photograph: NTB/Fredrik Varfjell/Reuters
IMAGE: Kiana and Ali Rahmani listen to the Nobel citation for their mother. Photograph: NTB/Fredrik Varfjell/Reuters
IMAGE: 'The Iranian people, with perseverance, will overcome repression and authoritarianism. Have no doubt, this is certain,' Narges said in a letter smuggled out of Iran, which Kiana and Ali read out at the award ceremony. Photograph: NTB/Fredrik Varfjell/Reuters
IMAGE: Hamidreza Mohammadi, Narges's brother, arrives for the award ceremony. Photograph: NTB/Javad Parsa/Reuters
IMAGE: A picture of Narges Mohammadi on the wall of the Grand Hotel in central Oslo before the Nobel banquet. Photograph: NTB/Javad Parsa/Reuters
IMAGE: The day before the award ceremony, December 9, 2023, Narges's husband Taghi Rahmani and her children, pose for pictures after signing the guest book at the Nobel Institute. Photograph: Frederik Ringnes/NTB/Reuters
IMAGE: Kiana and Ali Rahmani at a media conference at the Nobel Institute, December 9, 2023. Photograph: Frederik Ringnes/NTB/Reuters
IMAGE: Narges's family and Berit Reiss-Andersen meet the media. Photograph: Frederik Ringnes/NTB/Reuters
IMAGE: Ali speaks to the media as his father, sister and Reiss-Andersen listen in. Photograph: Frederik Ringnes/NTB/Reuters
IMAGE: Taghi, Kiana and Ali after the media interaction. Photograph: Frederik Ringnes/NTB/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com