•  Russia’s last significant independent newspaper and co-winner of 2021
• President Vladimir Putin and his administration, halted operations in Russia in March.
• Putin, Russia’s top leader since 1999, has always put pressure on liberal Russian media outlets, but it has increased since Moscow ordered soldiers into Ukraine on February 24.

The editor of one of Russia’s last significant independent newspapers and co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, Dmitry Muratov, auctioned off his Nobel medal for a record $103.5 million to help children displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement, Heritage Auctions, which held the sale in New York on World Refugee Day, stated that all proceeds from the auction will go toward UNICEF’s humanitarian assistance for the children who have been displaced in Ukraine.

After receiving warnings from the authorities over its coverage of the war in Ukraine, Muratov’s Novaya Gazeta daily, which is harshly critical of President Vladimir Putin and his administration, halted operations in Russia in March.

Putin, Russia’s top leader since 1999, has always put pressure on liberal Russian media outlets, but it has increased since Moscow ordered soldiers into Ukraine on February 24. In April, red paint was used to target Muratov.

The rhetoric employed by the Kremlin to characterise the confrontation with Ukraine, which Moscow refers to as a “special operation” to secure Russian security and denazify its neighbour, is closely monitored by Russia’s mainstream media and state-controlled organisations. It is an unprovoked war of aggression, according to Kyiv and its Western supporters.

The auction of Muratov’s prize, according to U.S. media reports, surpassed the previous top sale price for any Nobel medal that has been auctioned off, which was slightly under $5 million.

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