The Nobel Foundation has rescinded its widely panned plan to invite Russia, Belarus, and Iran to this year’s awards ceremony in Stockholm.

“We recognize Sweden’s strong reaction,” the charity added.

Russia and its ally Belarus were not invited last year as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Iran was excluded due to its human rights record.

Ukraine had criticized the decision earlier this year and welcomed Saturday’s U-turn as a “victory for humanism.”

The awards event is held in Stockholm on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, who founded the fund.

There, Sweden’s King honors Nobel laureates in medicine, physics, literature, and economics. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is conducted on the same day in Oslo, Norway.

The Nobel Foundation defended its earlier decision in an announcement on Saturday, saying “it is important and right to reach out as widely as possible with the values and messages that the Nobel Prize stands for – for example, last year’s clear political message with the peace prize awarded to human rights fighters from Russia and Belarus, as well as Ukrainians who work with documenting Russian war crimes.”

However, it admitted that the backlash had “overshadowed this message.”

“As a result, we have decided to repeat last year’s exception to standard practice, namely, not inviting the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.” “All ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo, as they have been in the past,” the foundation added.

What is the significance of the Nobel Prizes?
Ukraine’s losses are increasing by the hundreds on a daily basis.
The announcement on Saturday does not address another aspect of the prior communication that has raised fresh concerns in Sweden.

The offer is centered on “all parties that have parliamentary representation in Sweden through democratic elections.”

This includes the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, a party established by Nazi sympathizers and long ignored by the mainstream.

In last year’s general election, it received almost one-fifth of the vote.

Jimmie Akesson, its leader, has stated that he will not attend after being invited for the first time.

“Unfortunately, I’m busy that day,” he posted on Thursday on Facebook.