Shirin Ebadi

Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her work for the rights of Iran's children and women. She also works for the rights of refugees in Iran. Ebadi is the first Iranian, third Muslim, and eleventh woman to win this prestigious award. She once was a judge, but now serves as an attorney:

"She represented the family of Ezzat Ebrahim-Nejad, a student killed during the 1999 Tehran University protests. Her work on his family’s behalf exposed the link between vigilante groups and highly placed government officials. This work led to her arrest and detention in 2000."link

She recently helped form an organization that will provide legal aid to families of imprisoned activists and journalists, the Center for the Defense of Human Rights.

- Text of her Nobel lecture
- BBC profile