Dmitry Muratov, the Russian editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta (New Newspaper), on June 21 auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize gold medal for a whopping 103.5 million U.S. dollars to benefit children displaced by the war in Ukraine.

Media reports say Muratov has auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize medal for 103.5 million U.S. dollars. 

According to Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, all of the proceeds from the sale of the medal -- which was snapped up by an as yet unidentified phone bidder -- will go to UNICEF's Humanitarian Response for Ukrainian Children Displaced by War.

The BBC says Heritage Auctions has not revealed who the winning bidder was.

Muratov was co-awarded the peace prize in 2021 for defending freedom of expression in Russia.

Novaya Gazeta suspended its operations in March, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This came after Moscow said anyone who described Russia's actions in Ukraine as a "war" would face heavy fines or closures.  The Kremlin calls the conflict a "special military operation".

Dmitry Muratov (born October 29, 1961) is a Russian journalist, television presenter and the editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.  He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Maria Ressa for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Muratov co-founded the pro-democracy newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993 with several other journalists.   He was the newspaper's editor-in-chief from 1995 to 2017, and again assumed the position in 2019.  The newspaper is known for its reporting on sensitive topics such as governmental corruption, human rights violations, electoral fraud, police violence, and other misuses of power.  As editor-in-chief he was a vocal advocate for an independent press and published articles by Anna Politkovskaya that scrutinized the Putin administration.  The Committee to Protect Journalists notes Muratov helped to create "the only truly critical newspaper with national influence in Russia today."  On 28 March 2022, the newspaper announced that it would suspend its online and print activities after it received a second warning from Roskomnadzor.

In April 2022, the second largest Norwegian media group Amedia announced it was handing over its four printing houses in Russia worth some 4 million euros to Muratov, as it was ceasing its business activities in Russia.