Ukrainian, Russian Nobel Peace winners slam Putin’s ‘insane’ war
- Belarusian Ales Bialiatski, Russia’s Memorial and Ukraine’s Centre for Civil Liberties were honoured for their struggle in the face of authoritarianism
- The world’s most prestigious prize for peace efforts has not weakened the trio’s resolve to stand up and fight as they denounced Russia’s ‘imperial ambitions’
A trio from the three nations at the centre of the war in Ukraine accepted their Nobel Peace Prize on Saturday, calling for the fight to continue unabated against Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s “insane and criminal” invasion.
Jailed Belarusian rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, Russian organisation Memorial and Ukraine’s Centre for Civil Liberties (CCL) were honoured by the Nobel committee for their struggle for “human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence” in the face of authoritarianism.
The world’s most prestigious prize for peace efforts has in no way weakened the trio’s resolve to stand up and fight.
“The people of Ukraine want peace more than anyone else in the world. But peace cannot be reached by a country under attack laying down its arms,” the head of the CCL, Oleksandra Matviichuk, said.
Founded in 2007, the CCL has documented war crimes allegedly committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, including shelling of residential buildings, churches, schools and hospitals, bombings of evacuation corridors, forced displacement of people, and torture.
Due to Russian bombing of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Matviichuk had to write her Nobel acceptance speech by candlelight, she said in an interview just hours before the ceremony.