Muratov Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Muratov: Dictions Lead to War

The authoritarian leaders are undermining media and democratic institutions at risk of peace”, declared Dmitry Muratov, a joint winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, ahead of the awards-sharing ceremony in Norway's capital.

“Muratov, editor-in-chief of the independent Russian newspaper '%Novaya newspaper, and Maria Ressa of the Filippinian news site Rhappler (Rappler) won the award for their efforts to protect freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said when it proclaimed the award in October.

Muratov at a news conference in Oslo stated that dictatorship leads to war.

“The lack of trust in democracy means that, over time, people turn their backs on democracy, you will get a dictator and dictatorship leads to war,” he said.

Some authorities and governments invest in lies and not in journalism”, he added.

I am fully aware that this award is for the entire community of journalists. Now we are undergoing a challenge”, said Muratov, who has been editor-in-chief of the Novaya newspaper for 24 years.

The paper is one of Russia's few remaining independent media.

Since its founding in 1993, six of the journalists “Novaya newspaper” have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, whose reporting exposed high-level corruption in Russia and rights abuses in the republic of the North Caucasus of Checenia.