The 2022 Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to Belarusian activist Ales Belyatsky as well as to Memorial, a Russian human rights center designated as a foreign agent in Russia, and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, according to TASS.

The laureates “represent civil society in their home countries,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a statement. They have “promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens,” the announcement reads.

According to Oslo, the Peace Prize laureates “demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it wanted to honor “three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence in the neighbor countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.” “Through their consistent efforts in favor of humanist values, anti-militarism and principles of law, this year’s laureates have revitalized and honored Alfred Nobel’s vision of peace and fraternity between nations – a vision most needed in the world today,” the Committee concluded.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency