CPJ’s 2016 International Press Freedom Award winners Óscar Martínez, Malini Subramaniam, and Can Dündar join the campaign calling on Egypt to #FreeShawkan, an Egyptian journalist who has been in jail since 2013. Shawkan was also honored with CPJ’s 2016 award. (Getty Images/Jeff Zelevansky)
Last night, many of CPJ’s friends and supporters gathered at CPJ’s 2016 International Press Freedom Awards dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York to honor courageous journalists who face reprisal in pursuit of the news.
Many of you were there, and heard the speeches made by the award winners — Malini Subramaniam from India, Can Dündar from Turkey, and Óscar Martínez from El Salvador. But for those of you who weren’t able to make it, you can watch a video of their speeches, or read them, by clicking on the links in their names in this paragraph.
One of CPJ’s 2016 awardees — Mahmoud Abou Zeid, or Shawkan, from Egypt — could not be there as he has been languishing behind bars in Egypt for three years. CPJ will hold his award until he can attend a CPJ awards dinner and accept it in person. For now, you can join our campaign to free him. Take a photo of yourself holding a sign that says #FreeShawkan and tweet it with the hashtag. Add your voice to the thousands of others calling on Egypt to #FreeShawkan.
The night ended with a resounding call to action by Christiane Amanpour , CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor, who was honored with CPJ’s 2016 Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom. “If ever there’s a time to celebrate, honor, protect, and mobilize for press freedom and basic good journalism, it’s now,” Amanpour told the room. (Click on the link in this paragraph to watch a video of Amanpour’s speech, or read it.)
We hope you had fun last night. And if you weren’t able to make it, there’s always next year!