Winners of the RSF 2019 Prize for Freedom of the Press

On 12 September, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presented the 2019 Press Freedom Prize to Saudi journalist Eman al Nafjan, Vietnamese Pham Doan Trang and Maltese journalist Caroline Muscat at a ceremony organized for the first time in Berlin.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the German section of the organization, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presented the 2019 Freedom of the Press Award on Thursday 12 September in Germany at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. The ceremony, presented by Pinar Atalay, a journalist and television presenter, brought together many prestigious guests, including Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin, Alan Rusbridger, former editor of The Guardian , Susanne Koelbl, journalist for Der Spiegel, Nidhya Paliakara, TV5Monde journalist , former RSF Award winners (Swati Chaturvedi, Can Dündar, Grigory Pasko) …

The Courage Award, which honors a journalist, media or organization for demonstrating courage for the exercise, defense or promotion of journalism, was awarded to Saudi journalist Eman al Nafjan. Founder of the website SaudiWoman.me , and author of numerous articles in the international press, including the Guardian and the New York Times , Eman al Nafjan has been at the forefront of the campaign for the right of Saudi women to drive and to end the repressive male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia. In May 2018, she was arrested with other feminist activists, before being released on March 28th. According to the Saudi media, he is alleged to be harming “national security” and having “suspect contacts with foreign entities”.

Considered a “traitor”, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

The Impact Award, which rewards a journalist whose work has led to a concrete improvement of freedom, independence and pluralism of journalism, or an awareness of this subject, has been awarded to Pham Doan Trang . Journalist and blogger, she founded the particular legal online magazine Luat Khoa , and conducts writing thevietnamese– two publications that allow their readers to seize the laws of the country to defend their rights and fight the arbitrary Party. She is also the author of many books, one of which has helped advance the rights of LGBT communities in the country. Her work has earned her twice beaten and maintained by the police for several days in arbitrary detention during the year 2018.

The Independence Prize , which rewards a journalist for his resistance to financial, political, economic or religious pressures, has been awarded to the Maltese Caroline Muscat . After the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, this journalist created The Shift News, an independent online investigative media, committed to the fight against corruption and the defense of press freedom in Malta. In a media landscape dominated by media outlets subject to the government, Caroline Muscat has focused on revealing the many corruption cases affecting political leaders of the island. A target for gag lawsuits, his news site refuses to comply with requests for the removal of content from the British company Henley & Partners, which specializes in global citizenship and residency counseling. In 2015, Caroline Muscat’s journalistic work was rewarded by the European Commission.
“Every year, prize winners are absent because they are prevented from doing so by the leaders of their countries, ” said Christophe Deloire, secretary general of RSF.. Two of the three winners of this ceremony in Berlin could not receive their prize directly, as the Berlin journalist Carl von Ossietzky had been prevented from fetching his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1936, or as it happened also to Chinese defender Liu Xiaobo in 2010, who had not been able to receive the Reporters Without Borders Freedom of the Press Award six years earlier. These journalists who should be the honor of their country are deprived of their freedom to travel, and often of their freedom, but their commitment crosses the borders without the dictators can do anything to prevent it ” .

Created in 1992, the Reporters Without Borders Award has already rewarded the future Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo , the imprisoned Saudi blogger Raïf Badawi , the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet … The Prize contributes every year to the defense of journalism. In addition to their honorific dimensions, the prizes awarded to the winners are accompanied by an endowment worth 2500 euros.

TV5MONDE is the historical partner of the RSF Prize. The 2019 edition of the Award is also supported by the Posteo messaging provider and the Intan media group.

About TV5MONDE

TV5MONDE, the global French-language cultural channel, aims to promote French-language creation and the French language around the world. Present in 198 countries and 364 million households, TV5MONDE, which subtitles its programs in 14 languages, is one of the world’s largest television networks with 9 regionalized general channels and 2 thematic channels (TiVi5MONDE and TV5MONDE Style) . The channel shines the programs of its partner channels, its own programs and broadcasts French-language works such as cinema, fiction, documentary or live performance.