The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov on Friday “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.”
Ressa, the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, became the first person from the Philippines to win a Nobel prize, according to Reuters.
The 58-year-old journalist’s efforts have shed important light on the consequences of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte‘s campaign against drugs in the country. Throughout the years of her work, Ressa has faced a number of legal battles and was repeatedly targeted for her deep coverage of Duterte’s regime, CNN reported.
Muratov, 59, is the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, which the Nobel Prize Committee called “the most independent newspaper in Russia today.” (RELATED: REPORT: Bill Gates Hoped Epstein Could Help Him Win Nobel Peace Prize)
Muratov has persevered in the face of threats and killings of the outlet’s reporters, continuing to write critically about the war in Chechnya, corruption, unlawful arrests, electoral fraud and police violence, the committee said in the Friday press release.
BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/KHeGG9YOTT— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2021
“Igor Domnikov, Yuri Shchekochikhin, Anna Politkovskaya, Stas Markelov, Anastasia Baburova, Natasha Estemirova – these are the people who have today won the Nobel Prize,” Muratov said Friday, dedicating the prize to his paper’s six journalists and contributors assassinated for their investigative reports, according to Reuters.
“Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information help to ensure an informed public,” the committee said.