The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to representatives of civil society in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This gesture was considered a clear message of support to the Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin and his close ally, Belarus.
With a record number of applications for the award – over 340 names – Oslo has been tasked with choosing the winners amid the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Second World War.
In 2022, the award goes to Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organization Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organization Civil Liberties Center.
When announcing the award, the organizers made it clear that the war in Ukraine played a role in the decision and that they hoped the decision would contribute to peace.
The announcement coincides with Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday. The Nobel Committee denied that it was a prize “against someone”. But he acknowledged that Russia represents an authoritarian government that supports repression.
“Peace Laureates represent civil society in their home countries. For many years they have defended the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made a remarkable effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and human rights abuses. Together, they have made a remarkable effort to document the importance of civil society for peace and democracy.” They show it,” says Nobel.
According to the organization’s statement, Ales Bialiatski was one of the initiators of the democratic movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s.
“He devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his homeland. Among other things, he founded the organization Viasna (Spring) in 1996 in response to the controversial constitutional amendments that gave the president dictatorial powers and sparked demonstrations. Widespread. Viasna Provided support to imprisoned protesters and their families. In the years that followed, Viasna, “It has grown into a large human rights organization that documents and protests the authorities’ torture of political prisoners.”
According to Oslo, government officials repeatedly tried to silence Ales Bialiatski. “He was imprisoned from 2011 to 2014. He was re-arrested after massive demonstrations against the regime in 2020. He is still held without trial. Despite enormous personal hardships, Mr. Bialiatski has not taken a step forward in the fight for human rights ” and for democracy in Belarus” said.
The second prize went to Memorial, the human rights organization created in 1987 by human rights activists to ensure that the victims of communist regime repression in the former Soviet Union are never forgotten.
Among the founders were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina. Memorial is based on the idea that confronting past crimes is essential to prevent new crimes.
“After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Memorial became the largest human rights organization in Russia. The memorial compiled and systematized information about political repression and human rights violations, as well as establishing a documentation center about the victims of the Stalinist era. ” said.
“The monument has become the most authoritative source of information on political prisoners in Russian detention centres. The organization has also been at the forefront of efforts to combat militarism and promote human rights and the rule of law,” he said.
“When civil society has to give way to autocracy and dictatorship, peace is often the next victim. During the Chechen wars, the Monument collected and confirmed information about abuses and war crimes against the civilian population by Russian and pro-Russian forces. In 2009, head of the Memorial’s branch in Chechnya Natalia Estemirova was killed because of this work,” he warned.
Oslo also emphasizes that civil society actors in Russia have been subjected to threats, arrests, disappearances and murders for many years.
“As part of the government’s harassment of the Memorial, the organization was early branded as a ‘foreign agent’. In December 2021, authorities decided to forcibly liquidate the Memorial and permanently close the documentation center. The shutdown went into effect. However, the people behind the Memorial “No one is thinking of giving up,” said Chairman Yan Rachinsky in a comment about the forced disbandment.
Ukraine
Finally, the award went to the Center for Civil Liberties, established in Kiev in 2007 to advance human rights and democracy in Ukraine.
“The Center took a stance to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and to pressure the authorities to make Ukraine a full-fledged democracy. In order to develop Ukraine as a state of law, the Civil Liberties Center actively advocates Ukraine’s membership in the International organization. Heavy Criminal Court,” he said.
“Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Center for Civil Liberties embarked on efforts to identify and document Russia’s war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population. Criminals are responsible for their crimes,” he said.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honor three distinguished advocates of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence by awarding the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties.”
source: Noticias
