Nobel Peace Prize won by Ales Bialiatski, Memorial, Center for Civil Liberties

International reaction is pouring in for the winners of this year’s prize.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen applauded the “outstanding courage of the women and men standing against autocracy.”

Writing on Twitter, von der Leyen said: “They show the true power of civil society in the fight for democracy. Tell their stories. Share their engagement. Help make the world a freer place.”

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that the Nobel committee had honored “the unwavering defenders of human rights in Europe.”

“Artisans of peace, they know they can count on France’s support,” Macron said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also congratulated the winners and tweeted a message of support.

“The right to speak truth to power is fundamental to free and open societies,” he said.

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced into exile in Lithuania after running against strongman leader and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko in an August 2020 election denounced by the international community as neither free nor fair, also extended her congratulations to Bialiatski.

“Congratulations to Belarusian human rights defender & political prisoner Ales Bialiatski for receiving the 2022 #NobelPeacePrize. The prize is an important recognition for all Belarusians fighting for freedom & democracy,” she said in a tweet.

“All political prisoners must be released without delay,” she added.