Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of “Novaya Gazeta”, wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of “Novaya Gazeta”, and Philippine journalist Maria Ressa have won the Nobel Peace Prize. This was announced by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

“Since its founding in 1993, “Novaya Gazeta” has published critical articles on topics ranging from corruption, police violence, illegal arrests, election manipulation, troll factories and the use of Russian troops inside and outside Russia. Opponents of “Novaya Gazeta” responded with threats, violence and murders. Six of the newspaper’s journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya, who wrote about the war in Chechnya, have been murdered since its founding. Despite the murders and threats, editor-in-chief Muratov has not abandoned the principle of independence and has consistently defended the right of journalists to write on chosen topics, as long as this meets the professional and ethical standards of journalism,” said the Committee head Berit Reiss-Andersen.

Muratov said he intended to transfer part of the Nobel Prize to the “Krug Dobra” Foundation (“circle of kindness”), which helps children with serious and rare diseases. He dedicated the Prize to the murdered journalists of “Novaya Gazeta”.

“Igor Domnikov, Yuri Shchekochikhin, Anna Politkovskaya, Stas Markelov, Anastasia Baburova, Natasha Estemirova – these are the people who received the Nobel Prize today”, stated Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of “Novaya Gazeta”.

Dmitry Muratov founded “Novaya Gazeta” (originally “Novaya Dnevnaya Gazeta”) in 1993, together with colleagues from the 1980s “Komsomolskaya Pravda” editorial team. He has led the newspaper for many years and under his leadership it has covered the war in Chechnya, global and domestic corruption, persecution and human rights abuses. Its journalists have won more than 60 professional awards, including a Pulitzer Prize.

Muratov is the first citizen of the Russian Federation to receive the Prize. Before that, the Peace Prize was awarded to the physicist and human rights activist Andrei Sakharov (1975) and the first president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev (1990).

 

Source: novayagazeta.ru