10 October 2003

U.S. Welcomes Decision to Award Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian Woman

Shirin Ebadi is first Iranian and first Muslim woman to receive peace prize

The United States applauds the decision by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian democracy and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement issued October 10.

Following is the text of Boucher's statement:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
October 10, 2003

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Iranian Human Rights Activist Shirin Ebadi

The United States applauds the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian democracy and human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi, who has tirelessly worked on behalf of all Iranians, with a focus on the rights of women and children. Ms. Ebadi is both the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to win the peace prize in its 102-year history.

We fully support the aspirations of the Iranian people to live in freedom, and hope their call for democracy will be heard and transform Iran into a force for stability in the region.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)