In his opening speech, Nobel laureate Dimitry Muratov touched upon the political work and legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev. Stating that Gorbachev paved the way for freedom of the press in the Soviet Union, Muratov said, “War is the failure of politicians.” In his speech, Muratov asked for help from the authorities to bring Gorbachev’s ideas to life with a new magazine. Muratov was recognized for selling his Nobel peace prize for more than $100 million to help war-affected children.
In another panel moderated by journalist Katrin Sandmann, journalists Can Dündar, Xifan Yang and Sevgil Musayeva discussed the situation of journalists in Turkey, China and Ukraine.
Journalists from around the world participating in the three-day forum will seek ways of practicing their profession in exile.