Shirin Ebadi
Born 1947 · Age 78
Iranian lawyer, former judge, human-rights activist, author and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2003); founder of child- and human-rights organizations; living in exile in London since 2009.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Hamadan, Iran
Born to an educated family; father Mohammad Ali Ebadi was head of Hamedan's Registry Office and a commercial law lecturer.
Family moves to Tehran
Moved to Tehran as an infant and subsequently lived there.
Admitted to University of Tehran, Faculty of Law
Passed Tehran University entrance exams and entered law faculty.
Received law degree from University of Tehran (3.5 years)
Completed law degree in three-and-a-half years (University of Tehran).
Began serving officially as a judge (after apprenticeship)
Completed six-month apprenticeship and began official judicial service (one of the first women judges in Iran).
Awarded doctorate in private law (University of Tehran)
Earned doctorate with honours in private law while serving as a judge.
Publication: Criminal Laws (Tehran)
Published 'Criminal Laws' (published by Bank Melli of Iran).
Appointed President of Bench 24, Tehran City Court
Became first woman to serve as president of a city court bench in Tehran; served until the 1979 revolution.
Demoted after Iranian Revolution
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution women were deemed unsuitable as judges; Ebadi was reassigned from judge to clerk and later to 'expert' despite protests.
Requested and accepted early retirement
Unable to tolerate the demotion and the restrictions on women judges, she requested early retirement which was accepted.
Publication: The Rights of the Child (1st ed.)
Published 'The Rights of the Child; A study in the legal aspects of children’s rights in Iran'.
Publication: Medical Laws
Published 'Medical Laws' in Tehran.
Publications: Young Workers and Copyright Laws
Published 'Young Workers' and 'Copyright Laws' (Tehran).
Publication: Architectural Laws
Published 'Architectural Laws'.
Obtained lawyers' license and resumed legal practice
After years of being barred from practice, succeeded in obtaining a lawyer’s licence and began practicing law (Nobel biography states 1992).
Publication: The Rights of Refugees; History & Documentation of Human Rights in Iran
Published 'The Rights of Refugees' and 'History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran'.
Founded Society/Association for Support of Children's Rights (SPRC/ASCR)
Co-founded a child-rights NGO (dates cited as 1994/1995 in sources).
Assumed presidency of Association for Support of Children's Rights
Served as president until 2000; remained legal adviser thereafter (Nobel biographical detail).
Influence on 1997 presidential election noted
Her advocacy for women's rights and legal reform was cited as contributing to the reformist momentum that helped Mohammad Khatami's May 1997 victory.
Represented family of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad after student dormitory attack
Took on case of student killed during dormitory attack; became more publicly involved in dissident defence.
Arrested and jailed three weeks for distributing evidence
Jailed for three weeks after distributing evidence implicating officials in student murders; later found guilty of 'disturbing public opinion' and given a suspended sentence including a 5-year practice ban and fine (sentence later suspended).
Sentenced in 'Tape makers' case (later vacated)
Sentenced (alongside another lawyer) to five years and license suspension for allegedly manipulating a videotaped confession; supreme court later vacated the sentence.
Co-founded the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC)
With other lawyers established the DHRC; Ebadi served as founder and president.
Awarded Rafto Human Rights Prize (Norway)
Received the Rafto Prize in recognition of her human-rights activities.
Helped draft law banning physical abuse of children (passed)
Drafted original text for a law against physical abuse of children; the Majlis debated and ratified such protections in summer 2002.
Publication: The Rights of Women (Tehran)
Published a major Iranian-language book on women's rights.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Received the Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering efforts for democracy and human and children's and women's rights; first Iranian and first Muslim woman laureate.
Took on Zahra Kazemi family representation
Declared she would provide legal representation for the family of the murdered Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi; trial halted July 2004.
Filed lawsuit vs U.S. Dept. of Treasury over publishing restrictions
Challenged U.S. trade restrictions that impeded her memoir's publication in the U.S.; later won the case enabling publication.
Named to Forbes '100 Most Powerful Women' list
Listed by Forbes as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world (2004).
Received multiple honorary degrees (Williams, Brown, UBC, etc.)
Awarded several honorary doctorates and distinctions in 2004 across North America and Europe.
Delivered Senior Class Day address at Vanderbilt; awarded Chancellor's Medal
Spoke at Vanderbilt University and received the Chancellor's Medal for human-rights work.
UCI Citizen Peacebuilding Award (honoree)
Honoured as UCI's third Citizen Peacebuilding Award recipient (May 20, 2005).
Published Iran Awakening (English-language memoir)
Random House released 'Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope' (with Azadeh Moaveni) for Western audiences.
Co-founded Nobel Women's Initiative
Joined five other female Nobel laureates to found the Nobel Women's Initiative promoting women's rights and peace.
Announced defence of Haleh Esfandiari
Publicly announced she would defend jailed Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari.
Reported intensified threats to life and family
Released statement that threats against her and her family had increased and warned her to stop speaking abroad and defending persecuted Baháʼís.
Volunteered to defend arrested Baháʼí leadership
Announced she would defend members of the Baháʼí community arrested in Iran.
Published Refugee Rights in Iran (book)
Published a book exposing legal problems faced by Afghan refugees in Iran.
Office of Defenders of Human Rights Center raided
Her DHRC office was raided and effectively closed by authorities (December 21 and further raid on December 29).
Pro-regime demonstrators attack her home and office
Reported attacks on her home and office at start of 2009.
Went into exile in the United Kingdom; based in London
Left Iran and has lived in exile in London since 2009, continuing activism from abroad.
Abroad during 2009 presidential election crackdown; did not return to Iran
Was at a seminar in Spain during the disputed June 2009 presidential election; colleagues urged her not to return amid crackdown.
Called for new elections in Iran
In the wake of the disputed election, publicly called for a re-run and new elections (interview with Radio Free Europe).
Reported seizure of Nobel medal and other belongings by Iranian authorities
Reported that Iranian Revolutionary Court had confiscated her Nobel medal, diploma, Légion d'honneur and other items from her safe-deposit box; Iran denied the claim.
Sister Noushin Ebadi detained
Her sister was detained—interpreted as pressure on Ebadi while she remained abroad.
Husband made televised denunciation under duress
Her husband denounced her on state television; Ebadi later said the confession was coerced after his arrest and torture.
Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Cambridge
Awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Cambridge (2011).
Honorary Doctorates (SOAS and Law Society of Upper Canada)
Received honorary doctorate from SOAS, University of London and from Law Society of Upper Canada (2012).
Called for release of opposition leaders confined to house arrest
Issued statement calling for freedom for Zahra Rahnavard, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi after a year in house arrest.
Wolfgang Friedmann Memorial Award (Columbia Journal of Transnational Law)
Received the Wolfgang Friedmann Memorial Award in 2013.
Joined Aurora Prize Selection Committee
Became a member of the Aurora Prize selection committee (since 2015).
Published Until We Are Free (memoir/advocacy)
Released 'Until We Are Free: My Fight for Human Rights in Iran' (2016).
Publicly stated Islamic Republic was un-reformable; called for referendum
In a Bloomberg interview (April 2018) said the Islamic Republic was no longer reformable and called for a referendum on the regime.
Supported Every Woman Coalition; called for treaty to end violence against women
Advocated an international treaty to end violence against women and supported the Every Woman Coalition.
Spoke about Iran's 'revolutionary process' being irreversible (Reuters)
In a February 2023 Reuters interview she reflected on the state of the Iranian revolution and human-rights struggle.
Biographical entries updated (Britannica update)
Encyclopaedia Britannica updated its entry (26 June 2025), reflecting her continued activism and exile.
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