Foundation withdraws invitation to Nobel Prize ceremonies

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Nobel Foundation has withdrawn its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to attend this year's Nobel Prize award ceremonies. The decision to invite these countries had sparked strong reactions, leading to several Swedish lawmakers boycotting the event. The lawmakers cited reasons such as Russia's war on Ukraine and the crackdown on human rights in Iran for their boycott. Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also called on the Swedish Nobel Foundation and the Norwegian Nobel Committee not to invite representatives of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's "illegitimate regime."

In response to the backlash, the Nobel Foundation announced that it recognized the strong reactions in Sweden and decided not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. However, it will still follow its usual practice and invite all ambassadors to the ceremony in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.

The announcement of the withdrawal of the invitation was widely praised in Sweden, with politicians and even the Swedish Royal House expressing their support. The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, stated that he would not have made the decision to invite the representatives in the first place.

This year's Nobel prize winners will be announced in early October, and the laureates will be invited to receive their awards at glittering prize ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of award founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896. The Swedish Royal House confirmed that King Carl XVI Gustaf will continue to hand out the Nobel awards at ceremonies in Stockholm, as before.

FutureCar Staff