Norwegian Red Party (Rødt) parliamentarians Seher Aydar and Mimir Kristjansson nominated Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES), and Shervan Shervani (Şervan Şervanî), who has been imprisoned in KDP prisons since October 2021 for his journalistic activities, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Red Party MP Seher Aydar nominated Ilham Ahmed for her efforts to promote peace, dialogue, and women’s rights in the region.
Aydar highlighted Ahmed’s attempts to bring different sides of the Syrian conflict into dialogue and to build a common future without distinction of ethnic or religious identity. Known especially for her struggle for women’s rights, Ilham Ahmed has gained international recognition for organizing and empowering women under wartime conditions.
Seher Aydar said: “Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Ilham Ahmed would contribute to the global recognition of the multicultural, democratic, and egalitarian system in Rojava.” Emphasizing Norway’s tradition of peace and human rights, Aydar said that her country should take a more active role in supporting peace initiatives in the region.
Journalist Shervani in prison for exposing corruption
Red Party MP Mimir Kristjansson also nominated journalist Shervan Shervani, who is imprisoned in South Kurdistan (Bashur) for his struggle against corruption and for freedom of expression, for the Nobel Peace Prize. “Kurdistan deserves a peace prize. Shervani is not only a symbol of the struggle for Kurdistan’s freedom but also of resistance against corruption and oppression,” Kristjansson said.
The MP expressed hope that Shervani’s nomination would inspire political prisoners both in Kurdistan and across the Middle East. Emphasizing the importance of press freedom, Kristjansson said: “Democracy is impossible in Kurdistan without a free and critical press. Norway must raise its voice on this issue.”
Kristjansson also underlined that the peace prize should not be given to powerful state leaders but to those who pay a price for freedom and justice, saying that “this award should go to the brave people who resist authority.”