Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend ceremonies

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Nobel Foundation on Saturday withdrew its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this yr’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies after the choice introduced a day earlier “provoked strong reactions.”

Several Swedish lawmakers stated Friday they’d boycott this yr’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies within the Swedish capital, Stockholm, after the personal basis that administers the distinguished awards modified its place from a yr earlier and invited representatives of the three international locations to attend, saying it “promotes opportunities to convey the important messages of the Nobel Prize to everyone.”

Some of the lawmakers cited Russia’s conflict on Ukraine and the crackdown on human rights in Iran as causes for his or her boycott. Belarusian opposition determine Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday known as on the Swedish Nobel Foundation and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to not invite representatives of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s “illegitimate regime to any events.”

On Saturday, she welcomed the Nobel Foundation’s determination. She advised The Associated Press that it was “a clear sign of solidarity with the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples.”

“This is how you show your commitment to the principles and values of Nobel,” Tsikhanouskaya stated.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko known as the choice a “victory for humanism.”

“Thank you to everyone who demanded that justice be restored,” he wrote on Facebook, including that “a similar decision” ought to be made relating to the attendance of Russian and Belarusian ambassadors at celebrations happening in Norway following the ceremony in Sweden.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who stated Friday he wouldn’t have allowed the three international locations to take part within the award ceremonies, was additionally proud of the choice. He posted on social media platform X, previously generally known as Twitter, that “the many and strong reactions show that the whole of Sweden unambiguously stand on Ukraine’s side against Russia’s appalling war of aggression.”

The basis stated Saturday it acknowledged “the strong reactions in Sweden, which completely overshadowed this message” and due to this fact it had determined to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the ceremony in Stockholm the place the prizes in Sciences and Literatures are awarded.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize stated it might observe its ordinary observe and invite all ambassadors to the ceremony within the Norwegian capital of Oslo the place the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.

“The Committee wishes the government authorities in every country officially represented in Norway to have the opportunity to take part in the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony and to familiarize themselves with the Nobel Peace Prize laureates’ important message,” the Committee stated to the AP in an announcement.

“This applies not least to countries with an authoritarian regime which wage war against other countries or against their own population, and which our Peace Prize laureates oppose.”

Saturday’s announcement was broadly praised in Sweden by politicians. Even the Swedish Royal House reacted with spokeswoman Margareta Thorgren saying, as quoted by newspaper Aftonbladet, that “we see the change in the decision as positive.” She added that King Carl XVI Gustaf was planning handy out this yr’s Nobel awards at ceremonies in Stockholm “as before.”