From Karachi to New York: A tale of fear, loss, and hope
On Monday, a well-known Pakistani journalist came to our office in New York. We had been messaging and texting for a few weeks, so I knew what to expect. Despite the harsh reality check that CPJ’s Sheryl Mendez and I offered during our 90-minute meeting, he is going ahead with the process of applying for…
Baluchistan’s press under siege
Reporters in Pakistan’s conflict-stricken province of Baluchistan have been organizing to display their anger against the continued death threats they have been receiving from government secret services, religious militant groups, and armed nationalist organizations. Their most recent demonstration on October 1 was only one in a string of protests to confront the problem.
Mansoor al-Jamri Award Acceptance Speech
Mansoor Al-Jamri Al-Wasat, Bahrain Acceptance Speech CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2011 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation for the Committee to Protect Journalists for honoring me with the prestigious International Press Freedom Award 2011. I dedicate this award…
Natalya Radina Award Acceptance Speech
Natalya Radina Charter 97, Belarus Acceptance Speech CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2011 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City Ladies and gentlemen, I am Belarusian. My country, Belarus, is in the heart of Europe. Regrettably, I am certain, many in the West know very little about Belarus. They know much…
Javier Valdez Cárdenas Award Acceptance Speech
Javier Valdez Cárdenas Ríodoce, Mexico Acceptance Speech CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2011 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City Good evening. Many thanks to the Committee to Protect Journalists for this distinction, which for me is unparalleled. I have nourished my withered soul with expressions in the streets, embraces…
Umar Cheema Award Acceptance Speech
Umar Cheema The News, Pakistan Acceptance Speech CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2011 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City Ladies and gentlemen, This is a great privilege. I feel humbled and honored. There couldn’t be a greater recognition. But it doesn’t mark an end of the troubles. The award is a…
Eynulla Fatullayev Award Acceptance Speech
Eynulla Fatullayev Realny Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Acceptance Speech CPJ International Press Freedom Award 2009 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve come back from a place where times stands still. Neither night falls there nor does day come. Bare walls, cold, dampness, and darkness rule. In that place,…
Dan Rather Award Acceptance Speech
Dan Rather Acceptance Speech CPJ Burton Benjamin Memorial Award 2011 November 22, 2011 Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Avenue, New York City And, We’ve Gotten Used to It One of Bud Benjamin’s dreams was to expand the CBS Evening News to a full hour. And Bud wasn’t thinking of filling it with helicopter shots, celebrity gossip,…
Mansoor al-Jamri, Bahrain
2011 CPJ International Press Freedom Awardee Mansoor al-Jamri is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Al-Wasat, an independent Arabic-language daily, and a regular contributor to other publications on topics such as politics and human rights in Bahrain. When waves of protests swept the country in early 2011, Al-Wasat called for moderation and prudence by demonstrators and authorities….
Natalya Radina, Belarus
2011 CPJ International Press Freedom Awardee Natalya Radina, editor-in-chief of the pro-opposition news website Charter 97, which covers government wrongdoing, human rights violations, and corruption in Belarus, was arrested in December 2010 after members of the KGB, the country’s security service, stormed her office. Radina was indicted on charges of organizing mass disorder in the…