New Delhi: Journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia were on Friday declared winners of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Prize is the first for journalists since German Carl von Ossietzky won it in 1935 for revealing his country’s secret post-war rearmament program.
“Ms. Ressa and Mr. Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia,” Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told a news conference in Norway’s capital, Oslo.
“They are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions,” she added.
“Free, and independent, and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies, and war propaganda,” Reiss-Andersen said.
Ressa, who founded investigative journalism website Rappler, has focused much of her work on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial and violent war on drugs.
“I am in shock,” Ressa told a live broadcast by Rappler after learning of her selection for the Peace Prize.
Muratov founded the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993 and has been its editor-in-chief for 24 years. It is one of the very few independent media outlets in Russia and has seen six of its journalists murdered during that time.
Soon after the announcement, the Kremlin congratulated Muratov, although his newspaper has often criticized Russian authorities.
“We can congratulate Dmitry Muratov,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “He persistently works under his own ideals, he is devoted to them, he is talented, he is brave,” he added.
The award carries a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.1m). The Prize money comes from a bequest left by its founder Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
On coming Monday, the Nobel Prize for Economics may be announced.
(VP)