Macron hails Nobel prize for 'unswerving defenders of human rights in Europe'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hailed the Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize as "unswerving defenders of human rights in Europe". 

Nobel Peace Prize 2022 winners Ales Bialiatski (portrait) and the NGOs Memorial and Center for Civil Liberties (represented by their logos) © Nobel Peace Prize Organisation

"Ales Bialiatski, the Memorial NGO in Russia and the Centre for Civil Liberties in Ukraine: the Nobel Peace Prize pays tribute to unswerving defenders of human rights in Europe. As peacemakers, they can count on France's support," Macron wrote on Twitter.

The three prize winners are all members of the Paris-based (and world's oldest) human rights organisation International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH.) 

Ales Bialiatski in Belarus, the NGO Memorial in Russia and the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine: Nobel Peace Prize pays tribute to the human rights champions in Europe. Crafters of peace, they know they can count on France’s support.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 7, 2022

"This prize is the prize of resistance. Resistance against totalitarianism, against all attempts to silence the voices of those who dare to stand up and denounce human rights violations," Alice Mogwe, President of FIDH, was quoted as saying on the FIDH's website. 

"This award honours us and gives us an additional responsibility to continue to support our organisations and to continue the fight for a world where the dignity and human rights of all are respected."

Ales Biliatsky is a political activist in Belarus, known for his work with the Viasna Human Rights Centre. In 2020, he won the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize". He was FIDH's vice president from 2007 through 2021. He is currently in prison in Belarus. 

Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski received the Nobel Peace Prize.

He's been behind bars for over a year. pic.twitter.com/00B8icS3Qg

— Viasna (@viasna96) October 7, 2022

Russian rights group Memorial, which tracks human rights violations in the Russian Federation was officially "liquidated" by the Russian high court just 4 days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.   

Ukraine's Centre for Civil Liberties is recording the human toll resulting from the conflict with Russia. 

"They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power," the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen, told reporters.

The Nobel committee called on Belarus to release Bialiatski, 60, whose work has charted the increasingly authoritarian tendencies of President Alexander Lukashenko and his security forces.

(with wires)