The winners were Ales Bialiatski, a jailed activist in Belarus, the Civil Society Foundation Memorial, which was forced to close by Russian authorities last year, and the Ukraine-based Center for Civil Liberties.
“As the Nobel Committee quoted, this year’s recognition shines highlight the power of civil society to promote peace”, said Secretary General António Guterres.
‘catalyst for peace’
“Civil society groups are the oxygen of democracy, and a catalyst for peace, social progress, and economic growth. They hold governments accountable and bring the voices of the vulnerable into the halls of power.“
Bialatski was detained in July 2021, as a result of mass demonstrations against the re-election of Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The memorial is believed to be one of the oldest human rights organizations in Russia, led by peace prize-winner Andrei Sakharov. It unearths the full scale of suffering experienced in Stalin’s notorious prison camps, known as the Gulag.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties has begun documenting human rights abuses by Russian forces and their allies, having previously worked to expose human rights abuses in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to news reports.
The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andresen, said during the announcement of the award that the three civil society laureates “have for many years promoted the right to criticize power and defend the rights to happiness of citizen.”
Many human rights activists have been targeted in Colombia, especially those living in rural areas.
Civic space is shrinking
In his statement, Mr. Guterres noted that the civic space is “shrinking around the world.” More and more defenders, women’s rights advocates, environmental activists, journalists and others in the field of rights, “face arbitrary arrests, harsh prison sentences, smear campaigns, crippling fines and violent attacks. “
“As we congratulate this year’s winners, Iand we are committed to defending the brave defenders of universal values of peacehope and dignity for all”, concluded the Secretary-General.
Ales Bialiatski (2nd from left) during the Paweł Włodkowic award ceremony at the Polish Senate 2014.
