1 April 2006

INDEX ON CENSORSHIP HONOURS COURAGEOUS FREE SPEECH ADVOCATES


A Chinese Communist Party official, an Iranian filmmaker, a Tunisian journalist and a Zimbabwean lawyer were among several individuals honoured last week at Index on Censorship's 2006 Freedom of Expression Awards.

The awards recognise people who have made a significant contribution to free expression over the past year. Twenty-five individuals and organisations were shortlisted.

The Index on Censorship Award for Whistleblowing went to Huang Jingao, communist party official in Southern China who was sentenced to life in prison in November 2005 for using the Internet to denounce high-level official corruption.

Bahman Ghobadi won the Index Film Award for depicting the horrors of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq in the film "Turtles Can Fly".

Tunisian journalist Sihem Bensedrine was awarded the Index/Hugo Young Journalism Award for bringing attention to human rights abuses in her home country. She has been jailed for her opinions and faces regular harassment from the Tunisian authorities.

Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa won the Index Law Award for her work in defending journalists in Zimbabwe, despite frequent threats to her safety.

A new prize, the T.R. Fyvel Book Award, was given to French journalist Jean Hatzfield for his books "Into The Quick of Life: The Rwandan Genocide: The Survivors Speak" and "A Time for Machetes: The Rwandan Genocide: The Killers Speak".

For more details, including pictures of the award winners, visit:
http://www.indexonline.org/en/news/articles/2006/1/index-on-censorship-free-expression-awards-2.shtml


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Also from the Communiqué, 1 April 2006

NEPAL: PRESS FREEDOM SERIOUSLY DETERIORATING, SAYS INTERNATIONAL MISSION 1 April 2006 BELARUS: SCORES OF JOURNALISTS DETAINED AFTER ELECTIONS 1 April 2006 INTERNATIONAL: 65 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN 2005, SAYS IPI 1 April 2006 CHINA: HKJA VOICES CONCERNS OVER FREE EXPRESSION 1 April 2006 EGYPT: CAMPAIGN AIMS TO DECRIMINALISE DEFAMATION LAWS 1 April 2006 IRAQ: AMERICAN JOURNALIST FREED 1 April 2006 TOGO: REPORT ASSESSES MEDIA NEEDS IN TOGO 1 April 2006 INTERNATIONAL: IAPA REPORTS EXAMINE PRESS FREEDOM IN THE AMERICAS 1 April 2006 COLOMBIA: FLIP, IFJ SUPPORT SAFETY TRAINING FOR COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS 1 April 2006 LEBANON: LEBANESE JOURNALIST NAMED WORLD PRESS FREEDOM PRIZE-WINNER 1 April 2006 INTERNATIONAL: NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR SAMIR KASSIR PRESS FREEDOM AWARD 1 April 2006
 
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