Current Affairs » Nobel Prize 2022: Ales Bialiatski and Two Human Rights Organisations from Russia and Ukraine awarded Nobel Prize in Peace

Nobel Prize 2022: Ales Bialiatski and Two Human Rights Organisations from Russia and Ukraine awarded Nobel Prize in Peace

The prize winners of the Nobel Peace Prize symbolise civil communities in their respective nations. They have long advocated for the right to question power as well as to defend citizens’ fundamental rights. They had undertaken an excellent attempt to record war offences, human rights violations, and power misuse. They highlight the importance of civil society to democracy and peace. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize goes to Belarussian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human right group Memorial, and Ukrainian civil rights group Centre for the Civil Liberties.

Key Takeaways

  • This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Belarussian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian civil rights organisation centre for Civil Liberties.
  • On Oct. 7, the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize were announced.
  • Ales Bialiatski appears to be a Belarussian human rights activist who has been fighting for freedom and democracy for over 30 years.
  • The Memorial grew to become Russia’s most critical human rights organisation.
  • The Centre for Civil Liberties was created in Kyiv in 2007 to promote democracy and human rights throughout Ukraine.

Winners of Nobel Peace Prize 2022

Ales Bialiatski, a Belarussian human rights campaigner, Memorial, the Russian human rights group, as well as the Centre for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian civil rights group were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize for Peace awardees reflects the civil population in their particular countries. They had consistently pushed for the freedom to criticise the government and protect individuals’ fundamental human rights. 

They had made an outstanding effort to uncover war misdeeds, violations of human rights, and abuses of power. They emphasise the significance of civilised society in promoting democracy and peace. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace to three remarkable supporters of civil rights, freedom, & peaceful cooperation in the adjacent nations of Russia, Belarus, & Ukraine by presenting the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2022.

About The Belarus Activist Ales Bialiatski

Ales Bialiatski seems to be a human freedom activist in Belarus who has been fighting for freedom and democracy for over 30 years. In the 1996 year, he established the Minsk-based Civil Rights organisation “Viasna” to assist political dissidents. Since then, it has grown to be the country’s leading non-governmental group, helping the growth of Belarus’ civil society through recording human rights violations and supervising elections. 

Belarus, ruled by Alexander Lukashenko, the President, is frequently considered to be “Europe’s final dictatorship.” His dictatorial reign, wherein the elections were manipulated, opposition opinions were repressed, & civil society was tightly controlled by state organisations that are, in fact, a prolongation of the nation’s Soviet history, has earned him this image. The nation is also exceptional in the region because it still uses the death sentence.

Bialiatski had headed a peaceful and nonpartisan struggle to develop democratic rights and a flourishing civilised society in Belarus from the mid-1980s. Bialiatski has advocated for the abolition of the death sentence as a component of this effort. While an active participant in the nationwide human rights campaign, Bialiatski was detained and imprisoned for many years on fabricated accusations as Belarusian officials attempted to obstruct him. Viasna, as well as its members, have also been repeatedly attacked by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Bialiatski & Viasna’s long-standing initiatives to empower Belarusians and safeguard their rights and liberties have made them an irresistible force for liberation. Throughout pro-democracy rallies, such as the latest large-scale protests in the aftereffects of the 2020 deceitful presidential voting, Viasna has taken the initiative in advocating for the liberty of assembly, attempting to defend the people’s rights detained for protesting, as well as recording violations of human rights. Bialiatski also serves as a part of the Coordination Council, which was formed in August 2020, comprising opposition & civil society representatives with the goal of assisting the nation’s peaceful transition of power.

Bialiatski & Viasna remained in solidarity with the many brave individuals who resisted Lukashenko’s dictatorship in great personal danger. Bialiatski & Viasna’s devotion to freedom and democracy has established the groundwork for a democratic and peaceful community in Belarus.

About The Two Organisations of Russia and Ukraine

  • Memorial, The Russian Organisation

Memorial was founded in 1987 by human rights advocates in the old Soviet Union who sought to guarantee that the martyrs of the communist administration’s persecution were never forgotten. Among the creators were Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrei Sakharov & human rights champion Svetlana Gannushkina. The idea behind Memorial is that acknowledging past atrocities is critical to avoiding future occurrences.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Memorial expanded into becoming Russia’s most significant human rights organisation. Memorial collated and standardized data on political brutality & human rights breaches in Russia, as well as created a centre for recording casualties of the Stalinist period. 

Memorial emerged as the most reliable supply of information about political detainees in Russian prisons. The group has also been at the frontline of efforts to fight militarism & encourage human rights & rule-of-law administration. The government planned in Dec 2021 to forcefully dismantle Memorial & finally close the recordkeeping department. 

The restrictions were enforced in the following months, but the individuals behind Memorial refused to be closed up. Yan Rachinsky, the chairman, declared in response to the forced breakup, “Nobody intends to shatter up.”

  • Centre for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian organisation

In 2007, the centre for Civil Liberties got established in Kyiv to further democracy and human rights throughout Ukraine. This centre has chosen a stance to boost civilised Ukrainian society & put pressure on the government to transform Ukraine into a full-fledged republic. To help Ukraine get to be a nation ruled by the rule of law, the Centre for Civil Liberties aggressively lobbied for Ukraine to join the Global Criminal Tribunal. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early Feb 2022, the Centre for Civil Liberties had been working to discover and record Russian acts of war targeting Ukrainian civilians. The centre is leading the way in making the guilty entities responsible for their misdeeds in partnership with foreign partners.