Chinese, Palestinian journalists, Pegasus Project awarded by RSF
20:54
Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, Palestinian journalist Majdoleen Hassona and the Pegasus Project consortium on Thursday were announced winners in the Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, RSF) press freedom awards in three categories.
Paris-based international NGO recognized the value and impact of various journalistic works that have contributed to the defense or promotion of press freedom around the world.
“The RSF Award laureates embody the noblest journalistic qualities and also pay the highest price because of this. They deserve not only our admiration but also our support,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
The Courage Prize went to Zhang Zhan, a 38-year-old Chinese lawyer turned citizen journalist who covered the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan in early 2020.
In May 2020, she was arrested and held incommunicado for several months until in December she was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
In the Independence Prize, RSF rewarded the work of Palestinian Majdoleen Hassona, often harassed by Israeli and Palestinian authorities for her critical reporting.
The Impact Prize went to the Pegasus Project, an investigation published by a consortium of more than 80 journalists from 17 media outlets across 11 countries, with technical support from Amnesty International’s Security Lab.
(WBJ)
