Press Release: Announcing the Winners of the 2024 Courage in Journalism Award
Since the war began in Yemen in 2015, the country has endured one of the darkest periods for press freedom and media work. This has created a work environment fraught with risks and challenges, where journalists have waged significant struggles and made profound sacrifices to deliver information and facts to the public.
Amid these difficulties, journalism has remained present across various platforms, tools, and formats, keeping pace with developments in all their details and repercussions. This exceptional and distinguished presence could not have been achieved without the courage, dedication, and professionalism of journalists.
Their unwavering commitment to truth has allowed them to take the lead in a media landscape overshadowed by censorship, restrictions, and red lines. They illuminated areas of darkness, transformed constraints into opportunities to uphold journalistic values, and emphasized the public’s right to information. Armed with knowledge, professional ethics, and media charters, they boldly dismantled red lines with remarkable courage and competence.
Male and Female journalists have recognized the importance of free expression, the citizens’ right to access accurate and verified information, and the defense of freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of any democratic society. With this belief, they have remained confident that their work serves the greater good of society and the country, contributing to the advancement of Yemen’s media landscape.
Over the past decade of war in Yemen, journalists and women journalists have paid an exceedingly high price for their commitment to truth. Thousands have faced diverse forms of targeting and abuse, including killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, displacement, unfair trials, and other violations. These atrocities have made journalists one of the most targeted groups in the country, with the repercussions often extending to their families and loved ones.
Regrettably, this situation has had a profoundly negative impact on the media landscape and the level of trust between media outlets and the public, especially amid the increasing polarization and mobilization of the media by various warring parties in Yemen.
Since 2015, the Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen has documented over 2,500 violations against journalists and media workers perpetrated by all conflicting parties in Yemen. Among these violations, 54 male and female journalists have been killed, 488 cases of detention have been recorded, and 163 violations have been committed against media institutions. Moreover, six journalists remain either detained or forcibly disappeared, with some subjected to unfair show trials.
It is unfortunate that the involvement of male and female journalists in the conflict and their targeting has, at times, extended to the misuse of certain security and judicial authorities against them. This has led to trials that lack fairness, violate legal and constitutional principles, and contravene international treaties related to freedom of expression and respect for human rights.
Recognizing the role of brave male and female journalists who face risks and defy oppression to convey the truth, the Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen announced the opening of nominations for the Courage in Journalism Award 2024 last August, 2024.
The award aims to honor journalists who have demonstrated exceptional courage and commitment to professional values under extremely challenging conditions in Yemen.
A total of 151 male and female journalists applied for the award from various Yemeni governorates, including 123 male and 28 female journalists. Participants were given the opportunity to either nominate themselves or nominate others deserving candidates recognized for their extraordinary bravery.
Over the past months, an independent jury for the Courage in Journalism Award 2024, formed by the Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen affiliated with the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC), held a series of intensive meetings to shortlist and deliberate on the names of journalists eligible for the award. The jury comprises seven experts in journalism and human rights: Hussein Baslim,Hamdi Albokari, Khaled Al-Hammadi, Sonia Al-Muraissi, Mohamed Mandour, Nabeel Al-osaidi, and Huda Al-Sarari
The jury based its evaluations on three key criteria for eligibility:
- Work in Journalism: Nominees must be journalists or media professionals, working for a recognized media outlet or as freelancers.
- Adherence to Ethical and Professional Standards: Nominees must demonstrate commitment to journalistic ethics and professionalism, including factual reporting and avoiding disinformation.
- Courage in Journalism: Nominees must show courage in their work, enduring risks such as physical threats or psychological pressures resulting from their reporting.
The selection process for the awardees was carried out meticulously and through three stages: Compilation of a preliminary list, narrowing down to the shortlist, and determining the final awardees.
The jury emphasized that the award is designated for living journalists, while those who were killed fighting for truth and exposing corruption are honored with the Journalistic Courage Medal.
The jury unanimously decided on the following:
First: Winners of the 2024 Courage in Journalism Award
The award is shared equally between:
- Journalist Ahmed Maher, currently imprisoned in the internationally recognized Yemeni government’s detention centers in Aden since August 2022. He was sentenced to four years in prison and is known for his writings and televised statements criticizing the security and living conditions in Aden.
- Writer and journalist Mohammed Al-Mayyahi, detained in Houthi-controlled prisons in Sana’a since last September, recognized for his bold writings that shed light on humanitarian and social issues.
Each journalist will receive $1,000, which constitutes half of the total award value of $2,000.
Second: The Journalistic Courage Medal
The Jury decided to award the Journalistic Courage Medal to the killed journalist Mohammad Al-Absi, in recognition of his prominent role in journalism, his investigative reporting, and his brave and capable exposure of various forms of corruption.
To sum up, and despite the dangers surrounding journalists, we stand in reverence and respect for all journalists, both those who were nominated for the award and those who were not. All of them deserve recognition and gratitude for working in this perilous environment, proving year after year that they rise to the challenges, and that their voices will continue to echo the truth in the face of injustice.
We believe that this Award is a limited and symbolic recognition, expressing gratitude for their bravery, with the hope of seeing a better future for freedom of expression in Yemen. It is also a tribute to all those working in the field of defending rights and media freedoms.
The Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen announces that the Award will be an annual event to honor male and female brave journalists who face risks and challenges to convey the truth, reaffirming that a free press is the cornerstone of any society striving for freedom and justice.
The Observatory and SEMC thanks the award Jury for this year, which consists of:
- Hussein Baslim
- Hamdi Albokari
- Khaled Al-Hammadi
- Sonia Al-Marisi
- Mohamed Mandour
- Nabeel Al-Asadi
- Huda Al-Sarari.
Issued by the Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen
December 10, 2024.