A Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner has been dubbed a hero after announcing he will auction off his medal to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees.
Dmitry Muratov is a renowned Russian journalist and the editor-in-chief at the Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper critical of Putin and the Kremlin.
In 2021, Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize for his fight for the freedom of expression jointly with the Philippines’ Maria Ressa.
After receiving the prestigious award, the journalist dedicated it to six of his fellow journalists at Novaya Gazeta who got killed for expressing their views.
“It’s not mine. I’m not the right beneficiary, there are real ones. It’s just that the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t awarded posthumously, it’s awarded to living people,” Muratov told Meduza.
“Obviously, they decided to award it to someone living, having in mind Yury Shchekochikhin, Igor Domnikov, Anna Politkovskaya, Anastasia Baburova, Stanislav Markelov, and Natalya Estemirova.”
Now, the award-winning journalist revealed he will sell his medal at an auction to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees.
“Novaya Gazeta and I have decided to donate the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Medal to the Ukrainian Refugee Fund. There are already over 10 million refugees,” Muratov said.
“I ask the auction houses to respond and put up for auction this world-famous award.”
Muratov’s decision to auction off his medal comes after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and bombing of cities and civilian areas left millions of civilians displaced.
According to the journalist and his news agency, Kremlin should immediately “stop combat fire, exchange prisoners, release the bodies of the dead, provide humanitarian corridors and assistance, and support refugees.”
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