Maria Ressa, Dmitry Muratov win 2021 Nobel Peace Prize 

Philippines journalist Maria Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to defend freedom of expression. Announcing the name of the peace prize laureates on Friday, Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said that Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in the Philippines, her native country.  She told a news conference, ““Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia,” 

German Carl von Ossietzky was the first journalist to win peace prize in 1935 for revealing his country’s secret post-war rearmament programme. The committee emphasised that free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda. It further stated that freedom of expression and freedom of information are crucial prerequisites for democracy and protection against war and conflict. 

Dmitry Muratov founded the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993 and has been its editor-in-chief for 24 years. Today, it is one of the very few independent media outlets in Russia, and has seen six of its journalists murdered during that time. Last year’s peace prize was won by the World Food Programme for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the globe. The Nobel Peace Prize will be presented on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will. 

(With Inputs from Agencies)