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world news Diasabra 9 OctOber 2021

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to journalists Ressa and Muratov

(AP) — Journalists Maria where around the world to
Ressa of the Philippines “This relentless campaign of defend the right to informa-
and Dmitry Muratov of harassment and intimidation tion.”
Russia won the 2021 No- against me and my fellow
bel Peace Prize on Friday journalists in the Philippines “Journalism is in danger,
for their fight for freedom is a stark example of a global journalism is weakened,
of expression in coun- trend,” she told The Associ- journalism is threatened. De-
tries where reporters have ated Press. mocracies are weakened by
faced persistent attacks, disinformation, by rumors,
harassment and even She also pointed to social by hate speech,” said Deloire,
murder. media giants like Facebook as whose group has worked
a serious threat to democracy, with Ressa and Muratov to
Ressa and Muratov were saying “they actually priori- defend defend journalism in
honored for their “coura- tized the spread of lies laced their countries and comes
geous” work but also were with anger and hate over under regular criticism from
considered “representatives facts.” authoritarian governments.
of all journalists who stand
up for this ideal in a world in “I didn’t think that what we After the announcement,
which democracy and free- are going through would get the Nobel committee itself
dom of the press face increas- that attention. But the fact Kremlin spokesman Dmitry was put on the spot when a
ingly adverse conditions,” that it did also shows you Peskov also praised Mura- Referring to the hopes by reporter asked about its deci-
said Berit Reiss-Andersen, how important the battles tov as a “talented and brave” many in Russia that the prize sion to award the 2019 peace
chair of the Norwegian No- we face are, right?” she said. person who “has consistently should go to imprisoned op- prize to Ethiopian Prime
bel Committee. “This is going to be what our worked in accordance with position leader Alexei Na- Minister Abiy Ahmed, who
elections are going to be like his ideals.” valny, Muratov said he would has since become entangled
Ressa in 2012 co-founded next year. It is a battle for have voted for him if he were in a domestic conflict with
Rappler, a news website that facts. When you’re in a battle But Mikhail Ulyanov, Rus- on the committee, saying that the powerful Tigray region.
the committee noted had for facts, journalism is activ- sia’s envoy to international he admires Navalny’s cour-
focused critical attention on ism.” organizations in Vienna, age and adding that “every- “Today, I will not comment
President Rodrigo Duterte’s tweeted that Novaya Gazeta’s thing is still ahead for him.” on other Nobel laureates and
“controversial, murderous Muratov, 59, said he sees the editorial policy “has noth- other issues than we have
anti-drug campaign” in the prize as an award to Novaya ing to do with strengthening Some critics have questioned on the table today, but I can
Philippines. Gazeta journalists and con- peace” and that “such contro- if honoring journalists re- mention that the situation for
tributors who were killed, in- versial decisions diminish the spected the will of Swedish freedom of press in Ethiopia
She and Rappler “have also cluding Anna Politkovskaya, value of the Prize.” inventor Alfred Nobel and its is very far from ideal and is
documented how social me- who covered Russia’s bloody original purpose to prevent facing severe restrictions,”
dia is being used to spread conflict in Chechnya. Moscow-based political ana- war, but Reiss-Andersen said Reiss-Andersen said.
fake news, harass opponents lyst Abbas Gallyamov said freedom of expression was
and manipulate public dis- “It’s a recognition of the the award marked “a painful essential to peace. In other awards announced
course,” it said. memory of our fallen col- strike to the Russian authori- this week by the Nobel
leagues,” he said. ties ... because the freedom of “Free, independent and fact- Committee:
Muratov was one of the speech and the principles of based journalism serves to
founders in 1993 of the inde- “Since the Nobel Peace independent journalism are protect against abuse of pow- — The medicine prize went
pendent Russian newspaper Prize isn’t awarded posthu- an evil in the eyes of Russian er, lies and war propaganda,” to Americans David Julius
Novaya Gazeta, which the mously, they came up with authorities.” she said. “Without freedom and Ardem Patapoutian for
Nobel committee called “the this so that Anya could take of expression and freedom of their discoveries into how
most independent newspaper it, but through other, second As part of a new crackdown the press, it will be difficult the human body perceives
in Russia today, with a fun- hands,” Muratov said, refer- on independent journalists to successfully promote fra- temperature and touch.
damentally critical attitude ring to Politkovskaya. in Russia under President ternity between nations, dis-
towards power.” Vladimir Putin, the govern- armament and a better world — The physics prize went to
According to the Committee ment has designated some of order to succeed in our time.” three scientists whose work
“The newspaper’s fact-based to Protect Journalists, 17 me- them “foreign agents,” saying found order in seeming dis-
journalism and professional dia workers were killed in the they received funding from She also cited the danger of order, helping to explain and
integrity have made it an im- Philippines in the last decade abroad and engaged in unde- misinformation and attacks predict complex forces of
portant source of informa- and 23 in Russia. scribed “political activities.” on journalists by leaders de- nature, including expand-
tion on censurable aspects of Muratov said he asked gov- nouncing them as purveyors ing understanding of climate
Russian society rarely men- Muratov said he would use ernment officials who con- of “fake news.” change.
tioned by other media,” it part of his share of the 10 gratulated him if he would
added, noting that six of its million Swedish kronor now also receive that desig- “Conveying fake news and — The chemistry prize went
journalists were killed since (over $1.14 million) prize nation, but received no reply. information that is propa- to Benjamin List and David
its founding. money to help independent ganda and untrue is also a W.C. MacMillan for finding
media as well as a Moscow The state RIA Novosti news violation of freedom of ex- an easier and environmen-
Ressa, the first Filipino to hospice and children with agency quoted lawmaker pression, and all freedom of tally cleaner way to build
win the peace prize and the spinal muscular problems. Alexander Bashkin as say- expression has its limitations. molecules that can be used to
first woman to be honored He said he wouldn’t keep any ing the Nobel wouldn’t fall That is also a very important make compounds, including
this year with an award by the of the money himself. under the definition of for- factor in this debate,” she medicines and pesticides.
Nobel committee, was con- eign funding under the bill said.
victed last year of libel and Former Soviet leader and on foreign agents. Hours af- — The literature prize went
sentenced to jail in a decision 1990 Nobel Peace Prize lau- ter the prize announcement, Media rights group Reporters to U.K.-based Tanzanian
seen as a major blow to press reate Mikhail Gorbachev the Russian Justice Ministry Without Borders celebrated writer Abdulrazak Gurnah,
global freedom. used some of his award to added nine more journalists the announcement, express- for his “uncompromising and
help fund what would be- to its list of foreign agents. ing “joy and urgency.” compassionate penetration of
Currently out on bail but come Novaya Gazeta. He the effects of colonialism and
facing seven active legal cas- congratulated Muratov, call- Muratov on Friday de- Director Christophe Deloire the fate of the refugee.”
es, Ressa, 58, said she hopes ing him “a wonderful, brave nounced the foreign agent called it “an extraordinary
the award will bolster inves- and honest journalist and my bill as a “shameless” attempt tribute to journalism, an ex- The economics prize will be
tigative journalism “that will friend.” to muzzle independent voic- cellent tribute to all journal- awarded Monday.
hold power to account.” es. ists who take risks every-