Persecuted Journalists to Receive Awards for Their Work

Persecuted Journalists to Receive Awards
for Their Work

21 November, 2010 | By Elizabeth Lee (VOA)
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The Committee to Protect

Journalists lists 25

journalists from

around

the world who were

murdered this year

because of their

work.

And countless others face

threats, prison time and

harassment. Each year,

the U.S.-based

Committee honors

journalists who risk their

lives to do their jobs.

This year, four journalists

will receive the

International Press

Freedom Award at a ceremony in New York next week. Three
of them first traveled to Washington to share their thoughts with
fellow journalists.

Laureano Marquez is a writer from Venezuela who uses humor in
his political commentary. "We are the voice for the ones who can't
speak out or don't have access to the media. In my case, my
work is humor and humor has always been society's voice," he
said.

The Venezuelan government wants to prosecute Marquez. He
says the government's reaction to his writing shows how freedom
of expression in Venezuela is deteriorating. "Media outlets that
have been critical of the government have been shut down and
also some media outlets are practicing self censorship. Protest is
being criminalized so that people are afraid to criticize the
government," he said.

Nadira Isayeva of Russia also faces prosecution. She is editor-in-
chief of a weekly newspaper in the southern republic of Dagestan
and has written about how Russian security forces combat Islamic
militants. After publishing an interview with a former guerrilla
leader who accused authorities of corruption, the government
accused her of being an extremist. She faces the possibility of
eight years in prison, but says she feels vindicated by the Press
Freedom Award.

"I broke into tears because there was a lot of misunderstanding
about my personal position and of the position of the newspaper
in general," she said.

Ethiopian authorities jailed Dawit Kebede for nearly two years for
his reporting on the country's 2005 election violence. He
remained in Ethiopia, even though many of his colleagues left the
country.

"I always wanted to be a journalist. It was the only thing in my
mind," he said.

Kebede says the government's response to his work encourages
him to continue. "As far as the government trying to undermine
you, by different harassment, that's a recognition that you're doing
your professional duty," he said.

Iranian journalist Mohammad Davari is serving a five-year prison
sentence and cannot personally accept his award. Iranian
authorities arrested him last year on charges of "mutiny against the
regime," following his investigative report on the abusive treatment
of prisoners.

Joel Simon is the executive director of Committee to Protect
Journalists. "Davari is paying a terrible personal price for doing
what journalists are supposed to do, exposing corruption and
abuse," he said.

The other three award winners face the same threat of prison, but
they say that will not stop them from reporting the truth.

Courtesy