The editor in chief of the independent Moscow-based newspaper Novaya gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, is putting his Nobel Prize medal up for auction to raise funds to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Muratov, who was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his battle to uncover the truth as a journalist, said in an announcement in his newspaper on March 22 that he was making the move given the millions of Ukrainians already displaced by the war since it began on February 24.
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"I ask auction groups who are interested in putting this award, known to the whole world, to auction to contact us," said Muratov, who won the award along with Maria Ressa, who co-founded Rappler, a news website critical of the Philippine government.
Muratov and Novaya gazeta used the announcement to call for the "immediate" implementation of five measures in Ukraine -- a cease-fire, an exchange of prisoners of war, the repatriation of deceased, the creation of humanitarian corridors, and assistance for refugees.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops have invaded Ukraine since Moscow launched its attack, with intense air strikes and street battles taking place in several areas across the country.
Since early March, Muratov and his newspaper have avoided reporting what is happening in Ukraine because of censorship and the threat of criminal prosecution of journalists who do not follow the government line.
Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor has banned the description of Russia's actions in Ukraine as an invasion or a war, instead insisting they are called "special military operations."
A law endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 5 envisages prison sentences of up to 10 years for individuals convicted of the offense.
The penalty for the distribution of what authorities deem "deliberately false information" about the Russian military that leads to "serious consequences" is 15 years in prison.
Muratov's statement came hours after the Russian social-media network VKontakte blocked the accounts of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, opposition Moscow municipal lawmaker Ilya Yashin, and Navalny's team over their posts about the war in Ukraine because they did not follow the government's edict.