Nobel Peace Prize: Human rights campaigners in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine honoured | World News
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian Campaign Group Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties.
The winners were announced in Oslo by Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
She said the judges wanted to honor “three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in neighboring Belarus, Russia and Ukraine”.
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Berit Reiss-Andersen insists the award is not an anti-Putin one. Photo: AP
She added: “Through consistent efforts in support of humanist values, anti-militarism and the principles of the rule of law, this year’s laureates have revived and celebrated Alfred’s vision. Nobel for peace and brotherhood among nations, a vision most needed in the world today.”
She also called on Belarus to release Mr. Bialiatski from prison.
The award will be seen by many as a condemnation of the Russian leader Vladimir Putinwho is celebrating his 70th birthdayand Moscow’s ally the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenkomaking it one of the most politically controversial films in decades.
However, Ms. Reiss-Andersen insisted the award was not an anti-Putin award.
“We’re always giving awards for something and for something, not against someone,” she said.
Belarusian security police raided the offices and homes of lawyers and human rights activists last July, arresting Mr. Bialiatski and others in a fresh crackdown on dissidents. regime.
The work of the Russian human rights group, Memorial, is also recognized
Authorities shut down independent media outlets and human rights groups after mass protests the previous August against a presidential election were marred by broad claims. widely that it was rigged.
The peace awards traditionally recognize the work of groups and activists that seek to prevent conflict, resolve problems, and protect human rights.
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Last year’s winners have faced a tough time since accepting the award.
Journalists Dmitry Muratov of Russia and Maria Ressa of the Philippines fought for the survival of their news organizations and defied government efforts to silence them.
Last year, they were honored for their “efforts to defend freedom of expression, which is a prerequisite for democracy and lasting peace.”
A week of Nobel Prize announcements begins Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receives the prize for medicine to unlock the secrets of Neanderthal DNA, providing important insights into the immune system.
The three scientists jointly won the physics prize on Tuesday.
Alain Aspect of France, John F Clauser of America and Anton Zeilinger of Austria have shown that tiny particles can stay connected even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. used for specialized computing and information encryption.
The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of “gluing molecules together” that can be used to explore cells, map DNA, and design drugs that can more precisely target diseases like cancer.
French author Annie Ernaux Wins This Year’s Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.
The panel commended her for blending fiction and autobiography in the books drawing on her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s. .
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on Monday.
The prize consists of a cash prize of 10 million Swedish kronor (about £800,000) and will be awarded on December 10.
The money came from a will left by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite.
