This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a jailed Belarusian human rights activist and two rights groups in Russia and Ukraine, in a statement of the award’s support for their opposition to Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Kyiv and his authoritarian rule in the region.

Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties were joint winners of the award, the Nobel Committee said on Friday.

“The Nobel Peace prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens,” the committee said. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.”