The Nobel Foundation on Saturday, the 2nd of September, reversed its controversial decision to invite Russia, Belarus and Iran to this year’s prize ceremony in Stockholm, after a backlash in Sweden and widespread criticism around the world, reports BBC.
Last year, Russia and Belarus were excluded because of the Ukraine war, while Iran was excluded on human rights grounds.
Ukraine criticised the original decision to invite representatives of these countries to the ceremony and
the reversal of the decision as a “victory for humanism”.
Initially, the Nobel Foundation stood by its choice to extend invitations to Russia, Belarus, and Iran, emphasizing the importance of spreading the values and messages embodied by the Nobel Prize to a broad audience. They pointed to last year’s Peace Prize, which conveyed a strong political message by
honouring human rights advocates from Russia and Belarus, along with Ukrainians engaged in documenting Russian war crimes.
However, they acknowledged that the response had somewhat obscured their original intent.
The Foundation has therefore decided not to invite ambassadors from these countries to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm but, as in the past, all ambassadors have been invited to the ceremony in Oslo.
The Nobel Prize ceremony takes place in Stockholm on the 10th of December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, and the King of Sweden honours laureates in various fields. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held the same day in Oslo, Norway.
Saturday’s statement did not address the concerns that the invitation is addressed to parties represented in the Swedish parliament, including the controversial anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, which has historical links to Nazi sympathisers.
Read also: Medvedev says Russian army has enlisted 280 000 people this year