Progress And Justice

Poland’s Highest State Award Given to Imprisoned Journalist Andrzej Poczobut Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut has been awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honour, in recognition of his courage and unwavering commitment to human rights despite years of political persecution in Belarus. President Karol Nawrocki announced the award on 11 November 2025, noting Poczobut’s steadfast defence of civil liberties and his refusal to bow to authoritarian pressure. Poczobut, a long-time correspondent for Gazeta Wyborcza and an outspoken leader of the Polish minority in Belarus, has been detained since March 2021....

Afghan Journalist Salma Niazi Wins Dual Global Honors for Courage and Truth Afghan journalist Salma Niazi, founder and editor-in-chief of The Afghan Times, has been recognised with two major international awards for her fearless reporting and steadfast defense of press freedom. She received the 2025 One Young World Journalist of the Year Award, celebrating journalists under 35 who create social impact through storytelling, and the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery, which honours extraordinary courage in the pursuit of truth. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2022, Niazi fled Afghanistan, first seeking refuge in Pakistan...

Azerbaijani Journalist Nargiz Absalamova Honoured with 2025 Free Media Award Azerbaijani journalist Nargiz Absalamova, currently serving an eight-year prison sentence, has received the 2025 Free Media Award for her fearless reporting with Abzas Media. The award, presented by Fritt Ord and Germany’s ZEIT Stiftung Bucerius, was accepted in Hamburg by Abzas Media director Gunel Safarova on Absalamova’s behalf. In a message from prison, Absalamova described how imprisonment had reshaped her understanding of journalism, transforming it from a profession into a vital mission. She expressed that every detained journalist deepens the collective silence imposed on society,...

Imprisoned Azerbaijani Journalist Honoured with US Press Freedom Award Azerbaijan – Imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Farid Mehralizade has been awarded the 2025 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club of the United States in recognition of his reporting and his status as a political prisoner. Mehralizade, previously an economist-turned-reporter with the independent outlet Abzas Media, was convicted in 2024 on charges including “illegal entrepreneurship” and “currency smuggling” after investigations into politically sensitive topics and was given a nine-year prison sentence. These charges have been condemned by rights groups as baseless attempts to silence...

The case of Igor Kartavykh and its geopolitical implications Igor Kartavykh, executive director of the Russian-state affiliate agency Sputnik Azerbaijan, was released and returned to Russia after being detained in Baku in June as part of a major operation targeting the agency amid rising tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia. He had been charged by Azerbaijani authorities with fraud and illegal business activities related to Sputnik’s Baku office — allegations described by the outlet as politically motivated. His release reportedly followed high-level diplomacy between Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, and may have been tied...

Recognizing excellence in investigative journalism and public-service reporting At the 2025 Maine Press Association (MPA) Awards, Rose Lundy, a reporter for The Maine Monitor, was named Journalist of the Year for her outstanding work. Her investigative series spotlighted Maine’s aging-care infrastructure and elder-care policy failures, exposing significant oversight gaps and regulatory weaknesses. Lundy’s reporting provoked public scrutiny and calls for internal reviews at the state’s Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and helped spark legislative discussions about strengthening care standards. Her approach blends deep data analysis, on-the-ground fieldwork, and direct engagement with affected individuals, earning praise for journalism that “does more than...

Honored for probing Malta’s youth-sports system through investigative sports reporting Kyle Patrick Camilleri, a journalist at The Malta Independent (TMI), has been awarded the Sports Journalism Award at the 2025 Malta Journalism Awards, announced on 19 October 2025. The award recognized his article titled “Are Maltese youth sports models flawed?”, published 1 June 2025, which critically explored whether Malta’s youth-sport infrastructure is fulfilling its purpose and highlighted systemic challenges in athlete development and support. Within the competitive landscape of national journalism, Camilleri’s entry stood out for bridging sports coverage with broader societal issues—shifting from match-reporting to investigative analysis of...

Her release under a general amnesty spotlights Iran’s opaque use of security charges against the press Veteran Iranian economic journalist Shirin Saeedi has been released from Tehran’s Evin Prison after more than 21 months in detention, under a general amnesty and sentence reduction in mid-October 2025. She was first summoned to court in December 2023 and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin after interrogation. In March 2024, Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion with intent to act against national security,” citing...

Amaglobeli honored for courage amid state pressure Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has been named a 2025 World Press Freedom Hero by the International Press Institute (IPI) in partnership with International Media Support (IMS). Her recognition highlights her commitment to journalism despite political pressure and her ongoing legal battles in Georgia. Amaglobeli was arrested in January 2025 during protests in Batumi, accused of slapping a police chief after an alleged verbal insult—a charge widely seen by observers as politically motivated intimidation rather than legitimate enforcement. While in pretrial detention, she undertook a...

Santos’s lens captures “Hope Has Won in Syria,” earning him the Gazeta de Fotografia distinction Portuguese photojournalist António Pedro Santos, affiliated with the news agency Lusa, has been awarded the Gazeta de Fotografia prize by the Clube de Jornalistas in Portugal. His winning entry is a powerful portfolio titled “Hope Has Won in Syria” (“A esperança venceu na Síria”), comprising images shot in the aftermath of the deposition of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The award is part of the 40th edition of the Prémios Gazeta 2024, where other categories also recognize journalistic excellence, including long-career...

Nikalayevich’s release marks a rare closure in Belarus’s pattern of punishing critical reporting Yauhen Nikalayevich, a former video correspondent for Media-Polesye, has been released from prison after serving a one-and-a-half-year sentence related to protests in Belarus. He was convicted by the Pinsk City and District Court on charges of “severely disrupting public order”—charges connected to his coverage of demonstrations in Pinsk in 2020. His arrest took place in early 2024, after he returned to Belarus following a previous period of exile prompted by earlier detentions. During the 2020 protests, he had been detained and allegedly...

When Investigative Truth Becomes a Lifeline in the Darkest Places An investigation into the death of a Ukrainian journalist imprisoned by Russia stands among the ten finalists shortlisted for the 2025 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. The project, Viktoriia Roshchyna, Lost in ‘The Grey Zone’, was led by 45 journalists (among them from Ukrainska Pravda), who pursued the inquiry she had begun—into the thousands of Ukrainians illegally detained by Russia, a mission that cost her life. The winner will be revealed on 21 October at a ceremony held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg,...

A milestone achievement for truth-driven journalism in Africa Agence France-Presse (AFP) has won the Fact-Check of the Year award at the 2023 Africa Fact-Checking Awards, recognizing its leadership in exposing misinformation and defending factual reporting across the continent. The award was presented during the Africa Facts Summit, a major event celebrating accuracy and accountability in journalism. The winning investigation, led by AFP journalists Mary Kulundu and James Okong’o, dismantled false police claims circulating online in Kenya. Through meticulous verification, they revealed how recycled images and fabricated statements were being used to mislead the public, reaffirming...

Athens Democracy Prize celebrates Levy’s fearless reporting and moral clarity in the face of war and censorship. The City of Athens has awarded its prestigious Athens Democracy Prize to Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, honoring decades of bold reporting that confronts injustice and amplifies silenced voices. Levy, a senior writer for Haaretz and author of the acclaimed column Twilight Zone, has spent his career documenting the human impact of Israel’s occupation and exposing the suffering endured by Palestinians. At the Athens Democracy Forum, Mayor Haris Doukas described Levy’s journalism as “precise, unwavering, and essential for truth.” In...

Cuban-born journalist honored for fearless reporting and exposing power in Havana. Cuban-born journalist Nora Gámez Torres, based in Florida and contributing to The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, was recently honored with the Gold Medal of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize by Columbia University for her distinguished reporting on Latin America and Cuba. Gámez Torres had originally viewed journalism as a temporary sidestep from academia. After earning a degree in journalism in Havana and further studies abroad—culminating in a PhD in sociology in London—she entered journalism when an opportunity at El Nuevo Herald arose....

Honored in Strasbourg, Butkevych turns his award into a call for freedom for Ukraine’s political prisoners Ukrainian journalist and human rights defender Maksym Butkevych has received the 2025 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, honoring his resilience and lifelong commitment to justice. Co-founder of Hromadske Radio and the ZMINA Human Rights Center, he spent years advocating for civil liberties and inclusive civic action in Ukraine. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Butkevych joined the Ukrainian armed forces despite his deep commitment to nonviolence. Captured by Russian troops, he was sentenced to 13 years in...

Film exposes how armed groups control the country’s economy, borders, and daily life France 24’s documentary Haiti: The Iron Grip of the Gangs, directed by Catherine Norris-Trent and Roméo Langlois, has received the 2025 DIG Award for Long Reportage. The 52-minute investigation reveals how armed groups have entrenched themselves across Haiti, taking over ports, borders, and vital trade routes. By monopolizing commerce and using violence as leverage, gangs have stripped ordinary Haitians of basic freedoms and agency. The DIG Award, presented each year at the investigative journalism festival in Modena, Italy, recognizes reporting that shines...

Egypt frees its most prominent political prisoner after years in detention Egyptian-British activist and journalist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been granted a presidential pardon by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and released after spending nearly twelve years behind bars. Abd el-Fattah’s imprisonment spanned multiple sentences tied to accusations of “spreading false news,” participation in unauthorized protests, and other politically framed charges. Though officially his five-year term was supposed to conclude in September 2024, authorities had refused to account for his pretrial detention, thereby extending his confinement until the pardon was issued. The pardon was issued alongside...

Burkina Faso frees journalists after 14 months, but Atiana Serge Oulon is still missing Two journalists, Adama Bayala and Alain Traoré, have finally been freed after nearly 14 months of disappearance and forced conscription by the Burkinabe military. Their release on 17 September 2025 marks a hard-won victory for press freedom advocates in Burkina Faso, even as concerns remain for their colleague, Atiana Serge Oulon, still missing. Bayala, a columnist for private TV station BF1, and Traoré, editor-in-chief of Radio Omega’s national languages bureau (known as “Alain Alain”), were abducted in June and July 2024...

Belarus freed journalist Ihar Losik after five years in prison; reunited with family in Lithuania, justice served. Belarus has released Ihar Losik, a prominent journalist and practicing Catholic who had been serving a 15-year sentence on politically motivated charges since 2020. His release on September 11, 2025, came as part of a broader move that freed 52 political prisoners and followed negotiations linked to U.S. sanctions relief. Losik, 33, was arrested in June 2020 during the crackdown ahead of Belarus’s disputed presidential election. Convicted of “incitement” and “preparing to participate in riots,” he was subjected...

Belarus freed eight journalists, including Iryna Slaunikava, Pavel Mazheika, Yauhen Merkis, and Larysa Shchyrakova, in a sanctions-linked release. Belarus has released eight journalists who had been unjustly detained for years, in what rights groups are calling a rare but important breakthrough for press freedom in one of Europe’s most repressive media environments. The release, announced on September 11, 2025, came as part of a broader move that freed 52 political prisoners and coincided with the United States easing sanctions on the Belarusian state airline, Belavia. Among those freed were Iryna Slaunikava, a journalist with Belsat...

Jamie Vella & Robert Agius found guilty of supplying Daphne Caruana Galizia’s car bomb; sentenced to life, justice served. On 16 October 2017, investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb near her home in Bidnija after years of reporting on corruption, offshore companies, and the business–politics nexus in Malta. Her assassination shocked Europe and ignited a national reckoning over the rule of law and media freedom. Justice has moved in steps. In 2022, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio admitted their role and received 40-year sentences, while Vincent Muscat had earlier pleaded guilty and was...

Robert Telles was found guilty of murdering journalist Jeff German; sentenced to life with parole eligibility, justice served. On September 3, 2022, Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, 69, was found stabbed outside his home. His coverage had scrutinized misconduct in the office of Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, who lost a June 2022 primary after German’s reporting. Investigators quickly focused on Telles, citing surveillance of a matching vehicle and DNA evidence linking him to the scene. A jury convicted Telles of first-degree murder on August 28, 2024, after an 11-day trial where prosecutors argued...

A Lebanese-Australian journalist, Antoinette Lattouf, wins a legal battle after sharing a Human Rights Watch story about Gaza. Antoinette Lattouf, an Australian journalist and former ABC Radio Sydney fill-in presenter, was taken off air three days into a five-day stint in December 2023 after she shared a Human Rights Watch post about Gaza on her personal social media. She argued the removal was unlawful and driven by her political opinion, not any neutral policy concern. On 24–25 June 2025, the Federal Court ruled the ABC had unlawfully terminated her employment in contravention of the Fair...

Moroccan journalist Mohamed El Bakkali was freed after Israel seized the Handala ship off Gaza. Mohamed El Bakkali has safely returned to Morocco after his release from Israeli detention following the interception of the Handala ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in late July 2025. The vessel, carrying activists, lawyers, medics, and journalists, set sail with humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, in an effort to break the blockade and reach Gaza directly. On July 26, however, Israeli naval forces seized the ship in international waters nearly 40 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast and...

Cambodian journalist Chhoeung Chhoeng’s killer was jailed, a rare win for press freedom. In December 2024, Cambodian environmental journalist Chhoeung Chhoeng, aged 63, was shot while investigating illegal logging in Siem Reap province. He worked for the Khmer-language newspaper Kampuchea Aphiwat and had built a reputation for exposing corruption and environmental crimes tied to deforestation. After being rushed to the hospital, Chhoeng succumbed to his injuries three days later, making him the latest journalist in Cambodia killed for pursuing stories that challenge powerful networks involved in land exploitation. In June 2025, a Cambodian court handed...

Journalist Elif Akgül was freed after 101 days in pre-trial detention over the HDK investigation in Turkey. Journalist Elif Akgül has been released after spending 101 days in pre-trial detention at Istanbul’s Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison. She was detained on February 18, 2025, as part of a wider investigation into the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) and formally arrested three days later. Turkish authorities accused those connected to the HDK of ties to Kurdish political movements, allegations that have often been used to target activists, politicians, and journalists. Her release on June 2 followed an appeal...