• Website proposed for promoting freedom of speech

•  Nobel committee's deadline for nomination passes

•  Nomination highlights growing influence of social media

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian politician behind the proposal said on Wednesday, a day after the deadline for nominations expired.

 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee accepts nominations for what many consider as the world's top accolade until Feb. 1, although the five panel members have until the end of the month to make their own proposals.

 

Norwegian parliamentarian Snorre Valen said WikiLeaks was "one of the most important contributors to freedom of speech and transparency" in the 21st century.

"By disclosing information about corruption, human rights abuses and war crimes, WikiLeaks is a natural contender for the Nobel Peace Prize," Valen said.

Members of all national parliaments, professors of law or political science and previous winners are among those allowed to make nominations. The committee declined to comment on the WikiLeaks proposal or any other nominations.

 

Washington is furious at WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for releasing tens of thousands of secret documents and diplomatic cables which it says have harmed U.S. interests abroad, including peace efforts.

 

Assange, An Australian, faces extradition to Sweden from Britain for questioning in a sex case which he and his supporters say is a smear campaign designed to close down WikiLeaks, a non-profit organisation funded by the public and rights groups.

 

Awarding WikiLeaks the prize would be likely to provoke criticism of the Nobel Committee, which has courted controversy with its two most recent choices, jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and U.S. President Barack Obama a few months after his election.

NOBEL DEFINITION STRETCHED

 The prize was endowed by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who said in his will it was to be awarded to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

 In past decades the committee, appointed by the Norwegian parliament, has stretched Nobel's definition to include human rights, climate activism and even micro-financing, which have been a source of criticism from Nobel traditionalists.

 Nobel watchers say a prize for WikiLeaks would highlight the growing role of specialist Internet sites and broad access social media in bringing about world change.

Sites such as Twitter and YouTube have played important roles in mobilising people in countries with a tight grip on official media, such as Egypt where mass anti-government protests have been taking place.

Two suspected gangsters were on Tuesday shot dead by police in Nyeri Town.

The two were cornered on an earth road off the Nyeri-Karatina road. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found near the passenger side of a saloon car they had hired.

Police said a third suspect escaped with bullet wounds.

The driver of the taxi that operates in Nyeri Town also escaped unhurt. He surrendered himself to the police and has been assisting them with investigations.

Nyeri police boss Kirunya Limbitu said an AK-47 rifle and 26 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

However, there was no evidence that the suspects challenged the police in a gunfight, raising questions whether this was yet another case of police executions.

This follows last month's killing of two suspected gangsters in cold blood by police on Nairobi's Langata road.

Mr Limbitu said the gangsters were shot after their car stalled.

"They were trying to get to the highway and escape, but when their car stalled, one of them got out of the car holding an AK-47 rifle ready to shoot and that is when our officers fired," he said.

Detectives had been trailing the gangsters for several hours on learning that they had arrived in the area ready to carry out a series of robberies.

Abandoned their plan

The suspects seemed to know that they were being trailed and even abandoned their plan to rob a petrol station.

According to the police, they instead targeted matatus ferrying second-hand clothes dealers to Nairobi to pick their merchandise.

But on sensing that they had been cornered, the gangsters sped on the Nyeri-Karatina road and branched off on a rough road to try and shake off the pursuing police vehicle.

It was while they were trying to drive back to the tarmac that detectives shot them dead. (Nation )