Belarussian, Russian and Ukrainian Human Rights Advocates Are the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Winners

As I have posted before, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is a popularity contest of the Norwegian Parliament, influenced by the politics of the day. There has long been a trend toward awarding advocates of just causes, instead of the traditional diplomats who avoid or end wars. Some awardees are more deserving of the prize and the attention their cause receives than others. This year’s choice was influenced by the Russo-Ukrainian War and seemed to suggest a degree of neutrality in the face of Russian aggression. Nevertheless, the Belarussian awardee merits particular recognition. Ales Bialiatski, a dissident from Belarus, is a founder of a human rights organization in the county that has been ruled since independence from the Soviet Union by a dictator. He previously won the prestigious Andrei Sakharov award from the European Parliament and the Vaclav Havel award from the European Council, named for the Soviet and Czechoslovakian dissidents, respectively. A Russian and a Ukrainian human rights organizations were each co-winners. Belarus allowed its territory to be used for Russian troops to invade Ukraine, a fellow former Soviet Republic. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer, seeks to restore the Soviet Union. Last year, there were mass arrests after massive demonstrations against yet another fraudulent Belarussian presidential election. Many Belarussian dissidents were arrested or forced into exile.