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Syrian awarded global journalism prize

November 8, 2016 at 2:10 pm

Syrian citizen journalist Hadi Abdullah will be the 25th recipient of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) award, the organisation revealed.

“We are very pleased to award the prize to journalists and media who have distinguished themselves by their professionalism and courage in countries where journalism is often exercised at the peril of his life,” Secretary-General of RSF, Christophe Deloire, said.

According to RSF Abdullah “does not hesitate to venture into dangerous areas – where no Western journalist dares – to film and interview the actors of civil society.”

Abdullah is the 25th winner of the RSF-TV5 Monde Award for freedom of press, which will be awarded in Strasbourg today. RSF will also award the Chinese information 64Tianwang and citizen journalists Lu and Li Yuyu Tingyu who are currently imprisoned in China.

However, none of the winners will be present today to receive their awards at the ceremony.

Abdullah has “almost died several times”, following a brief abduction in January by the Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham. His cameraman was killed in a homemade bomb at the accommodation they shared where Abdullah was seriously injured.

Abdullah will be the second Syrian to receive the award; in 2015, the same prize was awarded to Zaina Erhaim who has worked in war-torn Aleppo.