Democracy and freedom can only exist with independent and free media. Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov fight at great personal risk for free public discourse. Their work deserves every recognition, and none could be more appropriate than the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, this recognition goes also to journalists all over the world who wage an often dangerous battle day in, day out for the right to information that each and every one of us enjoys. This prize is therefore also a prize for Anna Politkovskaya, who paid the highest price in this fight on behalf of “Novaya Gazeta”. And it imposes an obligation on us to continue to advocate at home and around the world for freedom of opinion and of the press.