Belarusian President Wins 2013 Ig Nobel Peace Prize

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the Belarusian police were recognized "for arresting a one-armed man for applauding."

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has been awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize for 2013 for making it illegal to applaud in public.

The Ig Nobel awards are handed out at Harvard University each year and are parodies of the Nobel Prizes.

Lukashenka and the Belarusian police were recognized "for arresting a one-armed man for applauding."

Two years ago, the Belarusian opposition held protest rallies in which participants simply clapped their hands.

In July 2011, a court in Belarus fined a one-armed man for taking part in the unsanctioned protests in Minsk. The man was found guilty by the court of clapping in a public place.

The Ig Nobels are awarded "for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think."

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters