Independent Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov has demonstrated why he was a worthy recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
Muratov courageously posted a video message on the website of his independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta titled “No to War” in which he declared: “Only the anti-war movement of the Russians can save life on this planet.”
Here is the complete text of Muratov’s message:
We all gathered at the editorial office early today. We are in grief.
Our country, on the orders of President Putin, started a war with Ukraine. And there is no one to stop the war. Therefore, along with grief, we and I experience shame.
In the hands of the commander-in-chief, like a key chain from an expensive car, he turns the “nuclear button.” The next step is a nuclear salvo? I can’t interpret Vladimir Putin’s words about the weapon of retaliation in any other way.
But we will publish this issue of Novaya Gazeta in two languages - Ukrainian and Russian. Because we do not recognize Ukraine as an enemy, and the Ukrainian language as the language of the enemy. And we will never admit it.
And the last. Only the anti-war movement of the Russians can save life on this planet.
With his message, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta put his independent newspaper at risk of being shut down by the Putin regime, which is trying to restrict Russian news media to relying on Ministry of Defense communiques for coverage of the Ukraine war.
Muratov and Maria Ressa, an investigative journalist from the Philippines, were awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in its announcement.
Muratov was honored for defending freedom of speech in Russia “under increasingly challenging conditions” since he co-founded Novaya Gazeta in 1993. The committee described Novaya Gazeta “as the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power.” It noted that the newspaper’s opponents “have responded with harassment, threats, violence and murder.” Six of its journalists have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaya who wrote “revealing articles” on the war in Chechnya.
And now Russia is involved in another war. Gazeta Novaya also published an editorial on Thursday which began as follows: “War is a crime. Ukraine is not an enemy. Russia will pay the heaviest price for Putin's choice.” The editorial went on to say:
“Mutual hatred will poison Russia's relations with all its neighbors, split families, destroy friendships and bring them to the brink of civil war. The blood of civilians will be on the hands of the aggressor. Citizens of the country are always responsible for the actions of their government, because this is our human, not theirs, bureaucratic country.”
The editorial then pledged that if “propaganda created the war, then the facts will be able to resist it.” It said the newspaper’s journalists will “check each and every official summary, we will not hide anything” despite probably having to work “under conditions of military censorship.”
It concluded:
“Nobody will protect Ukraine, except Ukrainians. No one but the Russians who said "No to war" can stop our own national catastrophe.”
Will the pen prove mightier than the sword?