June 21 (Reuters) – Dmitry Muratov, co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and editor-in-chief of one of Russia’s last independent newspapers, has raised $103.5 million by auctioning off his Nobel medal with the aim of helping children displaced by the war in Ukraine.
The auction house Heritage, New York, indicated in a press release that the funds raised by the sale would be donated to the humanitarian program set up by Unicef for children displaced from Ukraine since the offensive launched by Russia in the February 24.
Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper run by Dmitry Muratov and highly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government, suspended its operations in the country in March after authorities warned about its coverage of the war in Ukraine, amid increased pressure from Moscow against independent media.
According to the American press, the amount to acquire the Nobel Prize of Dmitry Mouratov is the most important reached during an auction for a medal of this type. The previous record would be slightly less than 5 million dollars.
Dmitry Mouratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Filipino journalist Maria Ressa for “their efforts to protect freedom of expression, which is a prerequisite for democracy and lasting peace”. (Report Lidia Kelly Melbourne; French version Jean Terzian)