Belarusian political activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian organization Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties were awarded the Nobel Prize of Peace 2022 “for the right to criticize power” and “denounce crimes against humanity,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee, based in Oslo, announced this Friday.
The Nobel Committee “wishes to honor three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the neighboring countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine”, it communicated when announcing the names of the winners and highlighting their importance for civil society in the construction of the peace and democracy.
Ales Bialiatski – awarded the 2022 #NobelPeacePrize – was one of the initiators of the democracy movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s. He has devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country.#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/p1KHHFkSse
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2022
Bialiatski “was one of the initiators of the democratic movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s. He has dedicated his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his country of origin,” the committee noted.
He created Viasna (Spring) “in response to the constitutional reforms that gave authoritarian powers to the president, he is currently detained without trial,” recalled Berit Reiss-Andersen, president of the committee, when announcing the shared award.
As for the Russian NGO Memorial, the committee recalls that it collected and verified information on abuses and war crimes perpetrated against the population by Russian and pro-Russian forces. “In 2009, the head of the Memorial branch in Chechnya, Natalia Estemirova, was killed because of this work,” the report states. Eph.
Memorial is based on the notion that confronting past crimes is essential to preventing new ones. The organization has also been at the forefront of efforts to combat militarism and promote human rights and a government based on the rule of law, the organization explained.
This organization was created in 1987 by human rights activists in the former Soviet Union who wanted to ensure that the victims of the communist regime’s oppression were never forgotten.
For its part, the Center for Civil Liberties was born with the purpose of promoting human rights and democracy in Ukraine. “It has taken a position to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and put pressure on the authorities to make Ukraine a full-fledged democracy,” the committee notes.
The Ukrainian center “has become an important source for documenting war crimes by Russia and plays a pioneering role in holding the guilty to account.”
“With their constant efforts in favor of humanistic values, anti-militarism and the principles of law, this year’s winners have revitalized and honored Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace and brotherhood among nations, a much-needed vision in the world of ho,” he adds.
In the press conference after the award announcement, Reiss-Andersen highlighted the “importance” of the winners for “promoting other values than those of war and aggression” in the midst of a war in Europe “with global effects”, although he recalled that every year there are ongoing wars when the Nobel Committee has to decide on the award.
France’s Annie Ernaux wins the 2022 Nobel Prize for Literature
Reiss-Andersen sent a message to the Belarusian government regarding Ales Bialiatski, calling for his immediate release: “We urge the Belarusian authorities to release Ales Bialiatski, let’s hope it happens and that he can come to Oslo. But there are thousands of political prisoners in Belarus, and I am afraid that my wish is not realistic.”
The president of the Nobel Peace Committee was especially “concerned” about Bialiatski, although she said she was hopeful that the award would “reinforce” her morale. The Peace Prize is the fifth of the awards announced. On Monday it will be the turn of the Economy.
With information from Eph.
