The 2022 edition of the Nobel Peace Prize is marked by the war in Ukraine and the political situation in Russia and Belarus.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday, October 7 to a trio of representatives of civil societies in Eastern Europe, the Belarusian activist Ales Beliatski, the Russian NGO Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, a highly symbolic prize in full war in Ukraine. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honor three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the three neighboring countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine“said its president Berit Reiss-Andersen.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee called on Belarus on Friday to release imprisoned activist Ales Beliatski. “Our message is to urge the authorities of Belarus to release Mr. Beliatski and we hope that this will happen and that he will come to Oslo to receive the award», said the president of the Nobel committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen. «But there are thousands of political prisoners in Belarus and I’m afraid my wish may not be very realistic.».
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Imprisoned human rights activist Ales Beliatski’s Nobel Peace Prize is “the recognition of a fight of Belarusians against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko“, also estimated Friday the leader of the opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa.
The winner’s wife Natalia Pintchouk told AFP that she was “overwhelmed with emotion“, greeting “recognition of the work of Ales, its employees, its organization».
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the recognition of the “exceptional courage of the women and men who oppose the autocracyin a tweet. “They show the true power of civil society in the fight for democracy“, she added.
French President Emmanuel Macron also hailed Friday the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to “staunch defenders of human rights in Europe». «Artisans of peace, they know they can count on the support of France“, he tweeted.
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