The Peace People

News - Norwegian Peace Prize for Mordechai Vanunu

05 April 2005

Mordechai Vanunu has been awarded the Norwegian People's Peace Prize for 2005 for his courageous action of protecting the people in Israel, the Middle East and the world against destruction in a nuclear holocaust. Earlier recipients of this prize have been Alva Myrdal (Sweden), Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams (Northern Ireland), Vytautas Landsbergis (Lithuania) and Dom Helder Camara (Brazil).

Three of the People Prize recipients (Myrdal, Corrigan, Williams) have also received the Nobel Peace Prize, and Mordechai Vanunu has again been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005.

The award coincides with the renewed efforts by the Israeli government to put Mordechai back in prison. On April 12th he is being indicted on charges of having spoken to journalists and attempting to visit Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for a Christmas Eve Mass.

The prize will be formally announced to Vanunu at a ceremony in Jerusalem on April 20, and the money will be available to Vanunu as soon as he is free and able to start a new life outside Israel.