113 Nobel Laureates Condemn Iran’s Crackdown, Endorse Democratic Republic

Unprecedented joint statement by global scientific, literary, and political figures backs Iranian protesters and rejects all forms of dictatorship—monarchical or religious.

When protest voices in Iran’s streets are answered with bullets and demonstrators continue to stand firm, the conscience of the world inevitably speaks. That moral voice has now taken a historic and unmistakable form: a joint statement signed by 114 Nobel Prize laureates from across disciplines and continents, expressing unequivocal support for the Iranian people’s uprising.

This declaration is not a routine gesture of solidarity. It represents a rare global consensus among some of the most distinguished figures in science, literature, medicine, economics, and peace advocacy. The signatories condemn the Iranian regime’s repression and gross human rights violations while endorsing the people’s demand for freedom, social justice, and the establishment of a democratic republic.

A Global Moral and Intellectual Consensus

Among the signatories is José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and current President of East Timor, a nation that itself endured occupation and dictatorship before achieving independence. His presence at the forefront of the list underscores the historical resonance of Iran’s struggle.

He is joined by Lech Wałęsa, the iconic leader of Poland’s Solidarity movement and former President of Poland, whose leadership helped dismantle communist authoritarianism in Eastern Europe. Also among the political figures is Óscar Arias, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Costa Rica.

Yet this statement is not merely the voice of former statesmen. It carries the authority of cultural and scientific pioneers. Nine Nobel laureates in literature—including Annie Ernaux, Kazuo Ishiguro, Orhan Pamuk, and Wole Soyinka—affirm that the Iranian people have rejected “any form of dictatorship, whether monarchical or religious,” framing the uprising not merely as a political revolt but as a profound cultural and civilizational demand.

The Weight of Science Behind the Statement

The scientific authority behind the declaration is striking. Dozens of Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, medicine, and economics—individuals who have shaped humanity’s understanding of disease, matter, markets, and the cosmos—have lent their names in support.

Among them are Daron Acemoglu, Nobel laureate in economics, whose work on institutions and democracy has profoundly influenced modern political economy; Pierre Agostini, Nobel laureate in physics; Frances Arnold, Nobel laureate in chemistry; and Geoffrey Hinton, a 2024 Nobel laureate in physics recognized for foundational contributions to artificial intelligence.

Their message is explicit: a system that, according to the statement, has executed more than 2,200 people in 2025 alone in an attempt to quell dissent cannot claim moral or political legitimacy.

The declaration emphasizes that despite “brutal and shameless repression,” the regime has failed to extinguish the uprising. It asserts that the Iranian people “deserve the strong and unwavering support of the free world.”

A Call to Democratic Nations

Beyond moral condemnation, the statement includes a direct appeal to leaders of democratic countries. The laureates urge them to support the Iranian people’s struggle for change, freedom, and social justice, and to assist Iran in joining the community of democratic nations.

The breadth of the signatories—spanning peace activists, economists, physicists, physicians, and literary figures—signals that Iran’s uprising is no longer perceived as an isolated domestic disturbance. It is recognized as a pivotal struggle with global moral implications.

When Nobel Prize winners—from politics and literature to medicine and economics—speak in unison to reject both monarchy and theocracy and to endorse a democratic republic, the message is unmistakable:

The Iranian uprising is no longer solely the voice of the streets. It is the voice of the world’s awakened conscience.

Signatories: 114 Nobel Prize Laureates Supporting the Iranian People

1. José Ramos-Horta – Nobel Peace Prize (1996), East Timor
2. Lech Wałęsa – Nobel Peace Prize (1983), Poland
3. Óscar Arias – Nobel Peace Prize (1987), Costa Rica
4. Daron Acemoglu – Nobel Prize in Economics (2024), Turkey–USA
5. Pierre Agostini – Nobel Prize in Physics (2023), France
6. Peter Agre – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2003), USA
7. Harvey J. Alter – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2020), USA
8. Victor Ambros – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2024), USA
9. Frances Arnold – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2018), USA
10. Alain Aspect – Nobel Prize in Physics (2022), France
11. Robert Aumann – Nobel Prize in Economics (2005), USA–Israel
12. Barry Barish – Nobel Prize in Physics (2017), USA
13. Moungi Bawendi – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2023), USA–France–Tunisia
14. Georg Bednorz – Nobel Prize in Physics (1987), Germany
15. Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo – Nobel Peace Prize (1996), East Timor
16. Bruce Beutler – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2011), USA
17. William C. Campbell – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2015), Ireland–USA
18. Mario Capecchi – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2007), Italy–USA
19. Thomas Cech – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1989), USA
20. Aaron Ciechanover – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004), Israel
21. Elias James Corey – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1990), USA
22. Mairead Corrigan Maguire – Nobel Peace Prize (1976), Northern Ireland
23. Johann Deisenhofer – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1988), USA
24. François Englert – Nobel Prize in Physics (2013), Belgium
25. Annie Ernaux – Nobel Prize in Literature (2022), France
26. Gerhard Ertl – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2007), Germany
27. Adolfo Pérez Esquivel – Nobel Peace Prize (1980), Argentina
28. Joachim Frank – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2017), USA
29. Jerome Friedman – Nobel Prize in Physics (1990), USA
30. Leymah Gbowee – Nobel Peace Prize (2011), Liberia
31. Reinhard Genzel – Nobel Prize in Physics (2020), Germany
32. Sheldon Glashow – Nobel Prize in Physics (1979), USA
33. David Gross – Nobel Prize in Physics (2004), USA
34. John Lewis Hall – Nobel Prize in Physics (2005), USA
35. Peter Handke – Nobel Prize in Literature (2019), Austria
36. Oliver Hart – Nobel Prize in Economics (2016), USA
37. Alan Heeger – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2000), USA
38. Richard Henderson – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2017), United Kingdom
39. Avram Hershko – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004), Israel
40. Geoffrey Hinton – Nobel Prize in Physics (2024), Canada
41. Jules Hoffmann – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2011), France
42. Roald Hoffmann – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1981), USA
43. Bengt Holmström – Nobel Prize in Economics (2016), Finland
44. Gerard ‘t Hooft – Nobel Prize in Physics (1999), Netherlands
45. Michael Houghton – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2020), United Kingdom
46. Anne L’Huillier – Nobel Prize in Physics (2023), Sweden
47. Tim Hunt – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2001), United Kingdom
48. Louis Ignarro – Nobel Prize in Medicine (1998), USA
49. Kazuo Ishiguro – Nobel Prize in Literature (2017), United Kingdom
50. Elfriede Jelinek – Nobel Prize in Literature (2004), Austria
51. Brian Josephson – Nobel Prize in Physics (1973), United Kingdom
52. Takaaki Kajita – Nobel Prize in Physics (2015), Japan
53. Brian Kobilka – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2012), USA
54. Roger Kornberg – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2006), USA
55. Ferenc Krausz – Nobel Prize in Physics (2023), Austria–Hungary
56. Leon M. Lederman – Nobel Prize in Physics (1988), USA
57. Robert Lefkowitz – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2012), USA
58. Jean-Marie Lehn – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1987), France
59. Rudolph A. Marcus – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1992), USA
60. Eric Maskin – Nobel Prize in Economics (2007), USA
61. John C. Mather – Nobel Prize in Physics (2006), USA
62. Oleksandra Matviichuk – Nobel Peace Prize (2022), Ukraine
63. Michel Mayor – Nobel Prize in Physics (2019), Switzerland
64. Arthur B. McDonald – Nobel Prize in Physics (2015), Canada
65. David MacMillan – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2021), United Kingdom
66. Craig Mello – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2006), USA
67. Hartmut Michel – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1988), Germany
68. Paul Milgrom – Nobel Prize in Economics (2020), USA
69. Patrick Modiano – Nobel Prize in Literature (2014), France
70. Paul Modrich – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2015), USA
71. William Moerner – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014), USA
72. Edvard Moser – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2014), Norway
73. May-Britt Moser – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2014), Norway
74. Herta Müller – Nobel Prize in Literature (2009), Germany
75. Dmitry Muratov – Nobel Peace Prize (2021), Russia
76. Roger Myerson – Nobel Prize in Economics (2007), USA
77. Konstantin Novoselov – Nobel Prize in Physics (2010), United Kingdom
78. Orhan Pamuk – Nobel Prize in Literature (2006), Turkey
79. Ardem Patapoutian – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2021), USA
80. Edmund Phelps – Nobel Prize in Economics (2006), USA
81. William D. Phillips – Nobel Prize in Physics (1997), USA
82. Christopher Pissarides – Nobel Prize in Economics (2010), United Kingdom
83. John Polanyi – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1986), Canada
84. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009), USA
85. Peter Ratcliffe – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2019), United Kingdom
86. Charles M. Rice – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2020), USA
87. Adam Riess – Nobel Prize in Physics (2011), USA
88. Richard J. Roberts – Nobel Prize in Medicine (1993), USA
89. Michael Rosbash – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2017), USA
90. Gary Ruvkun – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2024), USA
91. Gregory Winter – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2018), United Kingdom
92. Kailash Satyarthi – Nobel Peace Prize (2014), India
93. Jean-Pierre Sauvage – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2016), France
94. Randy Schekman – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2013), USA
95. Richard Schrock – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2005), USA
96. Gregg Semenza – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2019), USA
97. Dan Shechtman – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2011), Israel
98. Vernon L. Smith – Nobel Prize in Economics (2002), USA
99. Wole Soyinka – Nobel Prize in Literature (1986), Nigeria
100. Donna Strickland – Nobel Prize in Physics (2018), Canada
101. Jack Szostak – Nobel Prize in Medicine (2009), USA
102. Joseph H. Taylor Jr. – Nobel Prize in Physics (1993), USA
103. Kip Thorne – Nobel Prize in Physics (2017), USA
104. Olga Tokarczuk – Nobel Prize in Literature (2018), Poland
105. Harold Varmus – Nobel Prize in Medicine (1989), USA
106. Klaus von Klitzing – Nobel Prize in Physics (1985), Germany
107. John E. Walker – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1997), United Kingdom
108. Arieh Warshel – Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2013), USA–Israel
109. Torsten Wiesel – Nobel Prize in Medicine (1981), Sweden
110. Eric Wieschaus – Nobel Prize in Medicine (1995), USA
111. Jody Williams – Nobel Peace Prize (1997), USA
112. Robert Woodrow Wilson – Nobel Prize in Physics (1978), USA
113. David J. Wineland – Nobel Prize in Physics (2012), USA