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A Nobel Prize Shared by Three Human Rights Defenders

On 7 October 2022, Ales Bialiatski received the Nobel Peace Prize. But this was not a prize for one person alone. Bialiatski shared it with two organisations: Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties. This made the announcement especially interesting. Bialiatski is a Belarusian human rights defender, writer, and pro-democracy activist. He has worked for Belarusian independence and democracy since the early 1980s. He helped to found the Viasna Human Rights Centre and later became its chair. He was also a leader of the Belarusian Popular Front from 1996 to 1999. His work has not always been safe. He was held as a prisoner of conscience. Today, he is also a member of the Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition. The Nobel Prize recognised his long work for human rights and democracy. In the photograph, Bialiatski has short white hair, a white moustache and beard, and a serious expression.