Maria Corina Machado to Narges Mohammadi: Nobel laureates who couldn't accept prize in person at Oslo
Over the last few decades, several Nobel Peace Prize laureates have been unable to stand on the Oslo stage to receive their awards. From Iran’s Narges Mohammadi to China’s Liu Xiaobo, WION takes a look whose absence became powerful symbols of the struggles they fought
Maria Corina Machado
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, who has been living in hiding for over a year, will not appear at Wednesday’s (December 10) Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, will step in to receive the award and deliver her mother’s prepared remarks, organisers confirmed
Narges Mohammadi
Iranian human rights advocate Narges Mohammadi celebrated her Nobel Prize from inside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Known for challenging Iran’s mandatory hijab laws and opposing capital punishment, she had been arrested since 2021. Her 17-year-old twins, now living in exile in France, delivered a speech she managed to smuggle out. Mohammadi received temporary medical leave in December 2024 but remained restricted.
Ales Bialiatski
Belarusian rights defender Ales Bialiatski, founder of the Viasna human-rights organization, was serving a prison term when he received the prize. His wife, Natalia Pinchuk, stood in for him. Bialiatski had been sentenced in 2023 to a decade in prison on accusations of “foreign currency smuggling.”
Liu Xiaobo
Chinese democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo was arrested on charges of “subversion” and serving an 11-year sentence when he won the prize. His chair at the ceremony, left empty, became a global symbol of repression. His wife, Liu Xia, was confined to her home after the announcement, and his brothers were prevented from leaving China.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize while confined to her home by the ruling junta. Although given permission to travel, she refused, fearing she would be denied re-entry to Myanmar. Her sons and husband accepted the award for her
Lech Walesa
Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa opted not to travel to Oslo, concerned that authorities in communist-era Poland might block his return. His wife Danuta and one of his sons attended the ceremony on his behalf
Andrei Sakharov
Soviet nuclear physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov was recognised for his unwavering defense of human rights and peace, but the USSR forbade him from leaving the country. His wife, fellow activist Elena Bonner, collected the prize in his place
Carl von Ossietzky
German writer and pacifist Carl von Ossietzky won while held in a Nazi concentration camp. Arrested after the Reichstag fire, he remained in custody when the award was announced. A lawyer deceived his family to take the prize money and was later sentenced to hard labour. Ossietzky died in 1938 while still in state custody.
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