The Truth About Vladimir Putin's Nobel Prize Nomination
Former KGB officer and current president of Russia Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000 (via Britannica). Since then, his administration has been rife with allegations of human rights violations (per Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe). According to Amnesty International, Putin has made it punishable by law to criticize his regime. In addition, Them writes that he's imposed laws to restrict LGBTQ people from getting married and more. Per the Atlantic Council, Putin is also alleged to have poisoned opponents. Most recently, Alexei Navalny, a Putin Critic, alleged that he was poisoned with Novichok, on Putin's orders (per the BBC).
It might come as a surprise, then, to learn that Putin was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize back in 2014. Time explained that it was the International Academy of Spiritual Unity and Cooperation Among the Nations of the World that suggested the nod. As they put it, Putin "actively promotes settlement of all conflicts arising on the planet" and that he "makes efforts to maintain peace and tranquility" (via Insider). This nomination came as he was in the midst of annexing Crimea from Ukraine. It would not be his last nomination.
Vladimir Putin has received two Nobel Prize nominations
According to Time, Putin received the nomination for his actions in preventing a U.S. airstrike on Syria. This occurred as the country had a chemical gas attack in August, 2013 (via Independent). HistoryColored writes that Putin is good friends with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and most likely influenced the ruler's decision to civilly give up the country's weapons to avoid an international assault. However, some believe that Putin was the one responsible for supplying much of the weapons to al-Assad. Although he did not end up winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Newsweek writes that he would once again be nominated in 2020.
Per CBS News, the nomination came from a Russian group that was led by writer Sergey Komkov. With this revelation, Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "If this decision is made (to award Putin), great, if not, it's no problem as well." It's unknown why exactly Putin was nominated. Nonetheless, it was a controversial choice as Alexei Navalny was still recovering at the hospital after allegedly being poisoned by Putin. Ultimately, he did not win the coveted award.
However, one Russian who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was journalist Dmitry Muratov (per DW). Muratov is known for his work as the editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper that pushes the envelope when it comes to Russian freedom of speech. Independent reported that he dedicated the award to six murdered journalists who had worked for the newspaper.