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Nobel Foundation rescinds Iran's invitation to 2023 Prize ceremony

Iran was excluded from last year’s ceremonies following the government’s violent crackdown against protesters.

General view of the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall on Dec. 10, 2022, in Stockholm, Sweden.
General view of the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall on Dec. 10, 2022, in Stockholm, Sweden. — Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Iran was set to again be able to attend Nobel Prize events after the eponymous organization reversed on Thursday last year’s decision to bar the country in response to the ongoing Iranian protests, though it later backtracked.

The Stockholm-based Nobel Foundation said in a press release that “ambassadors from all countries that are diplomatically represented in Sweden and Norway, respectively, will be invited to the prize award ceremonies.” The organization said the decision is a response to the “increasingly polarized world” and its desire to “convey the important messages of the Nobel Prize to everyone.”

The Nobel Prize awards take place every year on Dec. 10. The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, while the rest are awarded in Stockholm.

The Nobel Foundation’s statement did not explicitly mention Iran. However, the Islamic Republic was excluded from last year’s ceremonies.

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