Belarus, Ukraine and Russia activists win Nobel Peace Prize

Belarus, Ukraine and Russia activists win Nobel Peace Prize
October 7, 2022, 1:50 pm

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.

Belarusian human rights activist Ales Byalyatski, Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (Oct 7).

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said in its citation: "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."

Ales Bialiatski takes the award for his work as a human rights advocate in Belarus.

He has spent years campaigning for human rights in a country where public criticism of the authorities is extremely dangerous.

The Belarusian activist knows that, personally: he is in prison, because of his work.

Bialiatski founded his group Viasna in 1996 – to fight for civil liberties and document repression. That task has grown and grown.

Viasna now lists 1,348 names that it considers political prisoners – including Bialitski and two more of its own members.

The Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation are recognised for their "outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power.”

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The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually to a person, or people, who have worked to benefit humankind.

The announcement was made at a news conference in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

Previous winners of the Nobel medal include Barack Obama in 2009 and Malala Yousafzai who shared the prize in 2014.

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