The Golden Pen of Freedom award annually presented by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) went this year to two Iranian journalists who are serving prison terms.
Among those in attendance at the award ceremony was Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who delivered a speech before the award presentation.
At the ceremony held in Taipei on the morning June 28 (today), it was announced that two Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had been awarded WAN-IFRA’s 2023 Golden Pen of Freedom.
Hamedi, 30, was one of the first journalists to break the story about Amini whose death worsened the conflict in Iran. Hamedi was arrested and put in prison by authorities on September 22, 2022. Mohammadi, aged 36, was arrested on September 29, 2022.
Both are young journalists of daily newspapers Shargh and Hammihan that are willing to see changes in Iran. Current reports say that like them, about 70 other journalists including at least 22 women are held in detention.
In 2022, the Golden Pen of Freedom award went to a Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.
WAN-IFRA has been presenting the award yearly since 1961. Eleven Media Group’s Chairman & CEO Dr. Than Htut Aung was presented with the award in 2013. He is the fourth of the award winners of Myanmar. Guardian U Sein Win was the first to receive the award in 1963. In 2001, Hanthawady U Win Tin and Daw San San Nwe were jointly presented with the award.
