Pedestrians and visitors stand in front of the Nobel Prize Museum in Stortorget in Stockholm’s Old Town, Sweden, July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little Obtain licensing rights
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The Nobel Foundation said on Saturday it would not invite ambassadors from Russia, Belarus and Iran to this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm, reversing an earlier decision after widespread criticism.
Last year, the foundation expelled the ambassadors of Russia and its ally Belarus over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Thursday, the foundation said it would invite them, and the Iranian ambassador, to this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony in December, commenting that it seeks to include even those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize.
The announcement prompted the leaders of several Swedish political parties to say they would boycott the festivities.
“We are aware of the strong reactions in Sweden,” the foundation said in a statement on Saturday.
“We are therefore choosing to repeat last year’s exception to the usual practice – that is, not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in Stockholm.”
The award winners are announced in early October, and five of the six Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm each year following a nomination process that is kept secret for the next 50 years. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, where separate ceremonies are held.
Reporting by Simon Johnson, Editing by Frances Kerry
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