In 1991, the Soviet Union fell, and after the 1994 election of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Bialiatski formed the human rights group Viasna, or Spring. It is for his work with Viasna that Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was established during the Perestroika and glasnost years and initially led by Andrei Sakharov, another Nobel Peace Prize winner. Reactions from world leadersEmmanuel Macron, president of France, sent his congratulations to the winners, tweeting that “the Nobel Peace Prize pays tribute to unwavering defenders of human rights in Europe. This year’s Nobel is ‘awesome.’”Belarus’s Foreign Ministry decried the award, and ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said that the Nobel Peace Prize was now so politicized that Alfred Nobel was turning around in his grave.

Source: New York Times October 07, 2022 23:19 UTC