It was not the 70th birthday present Vladimir Putin wanted, and it will be widely welcomed throughout the democratic world. The Nobel Peace Prize committee has awarded the coveted prize to Ales Bialiatski, the veteran civil rights activist, who is currently being held in prison without trial in his native Belarus. Sharing the prize with him are Memorial, Russia’s oldest rights organisation, and the Centre for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian rights group.
The committee said the laureates “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 rights abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy”.
The awards could hardly be more topical. No one can question the committee’s desire to honour the champions of freedom in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine during the most dangerous period in Europe since the Second World War.
