Winners of Bucerius Award announced
Azerbaijani correspondent for Radio Liberty Khadija Ismayilova yesterday received personal photos and an envelope with a notice stating "You are a sellout, behave yourself, or else we will embarrass you".
Khadija Ismayilov, 36, is one of Azerbaijan's well-known investigative journalists. She has received several awards for her investigative articles revealing the corruption within the government, including the corruption of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his close ones.
Just days ago, she received another Gerd Bucerius Award.
By the decision of the Fritt Ord (Oslo) and ZEIT-Stiftunghas (Hamburg) Foundations, this year the Freedom of Speech in Eastern Europe Award went to journalists Olga Romanova (Moscow), Valery Karbalevich (Minsk), Khadija Ismayilova (Baku), the "Ukrainski Tizhden" Weekly (Kiev) and "Dosh" magazine (Grozni, Moscow). Unfortunately, no journalist from Armenia won the award this year.
The awards will be presented to the journalists in Hamburg on May 24.
The Gerd Bucerius Award is granted for efforts for the strengthening of freedom of press, despite pressures and financial difficulties.
"A1+" received this award last year and was the first among Armenia's presses.
This award ceremony has been organized for journalists and presses of Russia and Eastern Europe since 2000.
