The Nobel Foundation has made the decision to withdraw its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to attend the upcoming Nobel Prize award ceremonies. This decision was prompted by strong reactions from Swedish lawmakers who expressed their intention to boycott the ceremonies after the foundation changed its position from the previous year and invited representatives from these three countries. The lawmakers cited Russia’s war on Ukraine and the human rights crackdown in Iran as reasons for their boycott. Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also urged the Swedish and Norwegian Nobel committees not to invite representatives from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s “illegitimate regime.” Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the Nobel Foundation’s decision, viewing it as a sign of solidarity with the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples and a commitment to the principles and values of the Nobel Prize.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oleh Nikolenko, hailed the decision as a victory for humanism, thanking everyone who demanded justice be restored. He also called for a similar decision to be made regarding the attendance of Russian and Belarusian ambassadors at celebrations in Norway following the Swedish ceremony. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who had already stated his opposition to the participation of the three countries in the award ceremonies, expressed his satisfaction with the decision. He emphasized that the strong reactions from Sweden demonstrate unanimous support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggressive war.
The foundation acknowledged the overwhelming negative reactions in Sweden, leading them to decide not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to the award ceremony in Stockholm. However, they will adhere to their usual practice and invite all ambassadors to the ceremony in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented. This announcement received widespread praise from Swedish politicians, including the Swedish Royal House. The spokesperson for the royal house, Margareta Thorgren, regarded the change in decision as positive, and King Carl XVI Gustaf plans to continue the tradition of personally presenting the Nobel awards in Stockholm.
The recipients of this year’s Nobel prizes will be announced in early October, and they will be invited to receive their awards during the prestigious ceremonies on December 10th, which marks the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.
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