Nobel Peace Prize honours three rights defenders

What did it mean when the Nobel Peace Prize went to civil society in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine on 7 October 2022? The award was shared by the Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights society Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation the Center for Civil Liberties.

A prize for three countries

The laureates came from the three countries at the centre of the region's crisis. According to the citation from the Norwegian Nobel Committee, they represent civil society in their home countries. The committee said they had for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect citizens' fundamental rights. It also credited them with an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and abuse of power, and said that together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.

The days before the award

The announcement came after a week of heavy developments in the war. On 5 October 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law formally annexing the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia into Russia. The same day, Ukrainian troops recaptured the village of Dudchany on the west bank of the Dnieper after Russian forces withdrew, as part of the southern counteroffensive.

On 6 October 2022, Russian forces shelled residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least three people and injuring twelve others. The attack also caused widespread fires.

What the juxtaposition shows

The citation's emphasis on documenting war crimes and abuses of power sits alongside those reports of attacks on civilians. The prize recognised work by organisations and an individual from the countries involved, rather than by any state. That is the substance of the award as the committee framed it: civil society as a constituent of peace and democracy.