The Nobel Foundation announced on Saturday that it was giving up inviting the Russian ambassador to the Nobel Prize ceremony in December in Stockholm, after the wave of indignation caused the day before by his invitation.
“We have chosen to reiterate last year’s exceptional measure to the usual practice, that is to say not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the awards ceremony. Nobel in Stockholm,” the foundation said in a statement.
The move was called a “victory for humanism” by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko on Facebook.
“We thank all those who have called for the restoration of justice,” he added.
After excluding the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors in 2022, the Swedish foundation announced on Thursday that it was returning to its previous practice of inviting ambassadors from all countries represented in Sweden.
She explained on Saturday that her initial decision was based on the belief that it was “important and right to disseminate as widely as possible the values ??and messages that the Nobel Prize represents”. However, the strong reactions it received “completely overshadowed this message”.
On Friday, Oleg Nikolenko had reacted strongly, considering that “as long as millions of Ukrainians continue to suffer from a war that they did not cause and that the Russian power will not be punished for its crimes, we will call the committee Nobel to support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus.” He also denounced a decision arousing “an increased feeling of impunity” from Russian power.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson meanwhile said he disagreed with the Foundation’s decision, saying he understood that “it bothers a lot of people in Sweden and Ukraine”.
Several leading Swedish politicians, including the leaders of the Center, Green, Left and Liberal parties, had threatened to boycott the event if the Russian ambassador was present.
On the X site, formerly Twitter, Mr. Kristersson on the other hand welcomed the new measure taken on Saturday. “The numerous and strong reactions show that Sweden as a whole stands unambiguously on Ukraine’s side against Russia’s appalling war of aggression,” he said.
Hours before the announcement of the Nobel Foundation’s reversal, Sveriges Radio, a public media outlet, reported that the Royal Court of Sweden was surprised by the invitation, adding that King Carl XVI Gustaf, who presents the prizes to the laureates during the ceremony in Stockholm, wondered if he would attend.
The exclusion of the Iranian ambassador from this event, confirmed this year, is linked to the bloody repression of demonstrations in this country.
The ceremony takes place every year in Stockholm on December 10, the day when Nobel laureates in Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Economics receive their awards. It is followed by a gala dinner bringing together some 1,200 guests.
A separate ceremony is held in Oslo on the same day for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
In this regard, Oleg Nikolenko called on the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Saturday to follow the example of the Swedish foundation, whereas, last year, all the ambassadors present in Norway had been invited to the ceremony.
“We are convinced that a similar decision should be taken regarding the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors in Oslo,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which designates the winners of the peace prize, condemned on Saturday the inclusion announced the day before by Russia on the list of “foreign agents” of Dmitry Muratov, co-winner of this prize in 2021, including seeing an attempt to “silence” the editor-in-chief of the independent publication Novaya Gazeta.
“The charges against him are politically motivated,” said Committee Chair Berit Reiss-Andersen.
02/09/2023 19:34:26 – Stockholm (AFP) © 2023 AFP
