lennart
14-02-04, 16:48
Vanunu among record 173 Nobel nominees
By Reuters and Haaretz Service
OSLO - Jailed Israeli atomic whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, the head of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei and former Czech President Vaclav Havel are among a record 173 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Friday that the number of nominees - 129 individuals and 44 organizations - beat a former record of 165 for 2003 when the award went to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, the first Muslim woman laureate.
"I'm speculating about Vanunu [winning], although I don't think that the Nobel Committee will be sufficiently daring to provoke Israel," said Stein Toennesson, director of the Peace Research Institute, Oslo.
Vanunu will be freed in April after an 18-year jail term for treason for leaking details of Israel's secret nuclear program.
The deadline for mailing nominations for the award, named after Sweden's Alfred Nobel, passed on February 1. The list of names is secret but some people publicize their choices. The winner will be announced in October.
"We have received nominations from around the world," said Geir Lundestad, director of the Institute. "The prize has become ever more global. "
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/394062.html
By Reuters and Haaretz Service
OSLO - Jailed Israeli atomic whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, the head of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei and former Czech President Vaclav Havel are among a record 173 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Friday that the number of nominees - 129 individuals and 44 organizations - beat a former record of 165 for 2003 when the award went to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, the first Muslim woman laureate.
"I'm speculating about Vanunu [winning], although I don't think that the Nobel Committee will be sufficiently daring to provoke Israel," said Stein Toennesson, director of the Peace Research Institute, Oslo.
Vanunu will be freed in April after an 18-year jail term for treason for leaking details of Israel's secret nuclear program.
The deadline for mailing nominations for the award, named after Sweden's Alfred Nobel, passed on February 1. The list of names is secret but some people publicize their choices. The winner will be announced in October.
"We have received nominations from around the world," said Geir Lundestad, director of the Institute. "The prize has become ever more global. "
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/394062.html