Nobel Prize 2022: Ales Bialiatski, Memorial, and Centre for civil liberties win in Peace

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2022, Nobel Peace Prize to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties. 

The Nobel peace prize laureates represent civil society in their domicile countries. They have promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens for many years.  They have also made an excellent effort to document human rights abuses, war crimes, and abuse of power. They demonstrate the significance of civil society for democracy and peace together. 

BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2022 #NobelPeacePrize to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. #NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/9YBdkJpDLU

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize)
October 7, 2022

Who is Ales Bialiatski?

1. Ales Bialiatski is a Belarusian civic leader and former prisoner of conscience. 
2. He is popularly known for his work with the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”. 
3. Ales Bialiatski was one of the initiators of the democratic movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s. 
4. He dedicated his life to “promoting democracy and peaceful development in his country,”
5. Bialiatski was born on September 25, 1962. 
6. He also won the Right Livelihood Award in 2020, widely known as the ‘Alternate Nobel Prize”. 
7. He is imprisoned for alleged tax evasion Since July 14, 2021.  Human rights defenders consider the charges to be politically motivated and recognize Bialiatski as a prisoner of conscience.

What is the significance of the Russian Human Rights Organization Memorial?

1. Memorial is Russia’s oldest human rights organization. 
2. It was founded in 1987, four years before the end of the Soviet Union, with Soviet dissident and Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov as its chairman. 
3. It had been prominent in disclosing the crimes of the Stalinist regime and remembering the victims of the Gulag.
4. Later the organization was accused of trying to undermine the state order.

What is the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties?

1. The Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties was established to promote human rights and democracy in Ukraine. 
2. Human rights activist, Oleksandra Matviychuk is the center’s director.
3. The organization took the stand of strengthening Ukrainian civil society and putting pressure on the authorities to turn Ukraine into a full-fledged democracy. 
4. The Centre has also been documenting Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian people, after the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
5.  The organization also plays a leading role in bringing perpetrators to justice for their crimes.

Nobel Peace Prize 2021

The Nobel Peace prize 2021 was awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to protect freedom of expression which is a precondition for lasting peace and democracy.

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