A trio consisting of Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
“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”, declared its president Berit Reiss-Andersen. It also calls on Belarus to release imprisoned activist and co-winner Ales Beliatski.
These three laureates have in common their opposition, direct or indirect, to Vladimir Putin. But this Nobel Peace Prize is not directed against the Russian president, who must stop repressing activists, the Nobel committee said.
A link with Ukraine deemed “likely” in advance
In recent days, the commentators went there each of their prognosis as to the possible identity of the winner. “It is likely that we will have a price that one way or another will point in the direction of Ukraine,” predicted Thursday the director of the Oslo Peace Research Institute, Henrik Urdal. , at the microphone of the NRK radio. Were thus eligible in his eyes the Belarusian opponents Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa and Russian Alexeï Navalny, itchy hairs of the Kremlin.
Other Nobel observers leaned towards a prize going to the climate cause, an area where all the indicators are red.