The Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Ales Bialiatski, a detained activist in Belarus, and two organizations – the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.
The Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. “They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy”, said the official announcement.
Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the panel wanted to honor “three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence.”
“Through their consistent efforts in favor of human values and anti-militarism and principles of law, this year’s laureates have revitalized and honored Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace and fraternity between nations, a vision most needed in the world today,” she told reporters in Oslo.
Belarus: Ales Bialiatski was one of the initiators of the democratic movement in Belarus who has devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country. His organization Viasna (Spring) provided support for the jailed demonstrators and their families. He has been imprisoned from 2011 to 2014, and again in 2020. He is still detained without trial.
Russia: Memorial, established in 1987, was Russia’s largest human rights organization after the Soviet Union’s collapse. The Russian government forced its liquidation in 2021, but “the people behind Memorial refuse to be shut down,” the committee said.
Ukraine: The Center for Civil Liberties was founded in 2007 to promote human rights and democracy in Ukraine. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the organization has engaged in efforts to identify and document Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population and is playing a pioneering role to hold the guilty parties accountable for their crimes.