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The National
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Gaza and Syria in spotlight at Middle East press awards in honour of slain Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir
Three Arab journalists have been recognised for their reporting on Syria and Gaza at the 20th edition of an EU-sponsored awards ceremony in honour of assassinated Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir. The Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press was held on Tuesday at Sursock Palace in Beirut. The annual event is organised by the Samir Kassir Foundation with EU financing. Mr Kassir was killed on June 2, 2005 in the Lebanese capital. He was a vocal critic of Syria's occupation of Lebanon which started in 1976 and ended in the year he died. Gaza, devastated by almost 20 months of Israeli bombardment, was central to this year's event, along with Syria as the country emerges from decades of authoritarian rule after the fall of Bashar Al Assad. Tuesday's ceremony carried extra poignancy, 20 years on from Mr Kassir's assassination. 'It has very much to do with Samir's own multiple identities – Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian – and what is happening in these three countries defies all imagination and expectations,' said Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the Beirut-based foundation. 'Whether on the positive side or even on the tragic side', the changes taking place in Lebanon and Gaza are 'beyond anything we thought possible', he told The National. Raised in Beirut by a Lebanese-Palestinian father and Lebanese-Syrian mother, Mr Kassir went on to become a prominent intellectual and journalist. As well as criticising the Syrian occupation, he was a vocal opponent of Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese armed group and political party. His assassination was one of a series of killings that targeted critics of the Assad regime and its influence abroad. The perpetrators have never been held accountable. Mr Kassir's death has been widely blamed on Hezbollah, which was a key ally of the Assad regime before the president was toppled last December. For a second year, the awards ceremony was held without Gisele Khoury, the Lebanese journalist and widow of Mr Kassir, who died of cancer in October 2023. Ms Khoury founded the Samir Kassir Foundation. A panel of seven judges from the Middle East and Europe selected the winners. The prize for best opinion article was awarded to Palestinian journalist Badar Salem for her piece headlined The Normalisation of Resilience in Gaza. The best investigative story was Egyptian journalist Marina Milad's investigation into Syrian women imprisoned under the Assad regime. The award for best video went to Syrian journalist Khalil Al Ashawi for his portrayal of a childhood lived 'in an endless war' in Syria. 'It's very important to receive a prize named after someone who was killed because of the Syrian regime, the same regime that forced us to flee,' Mr Al Ashawi told The National. 'It shows that we're back. I returned to my country for the first time in 14 years, and I did this report after the fall of the regime. I would never have dreamt of doing so before.' The judges were The National 's Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi, French writer Jean-Pierre Perrin, BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab, Antoine Haddad – vice-president of Saint George University of Beirut and the Samir Kassir Foundation's representative, Paul Radu, co-founder of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Spanish journalist and communications expert Natalia Sancha and Ali Amar, Editor-in-Chief of Moroccan news outlet Le Desk. The jury paid tribute to Ms Khoury, and Lebanese journalists and intellectuals who had been killed, including Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim and Gebran Tueni, former editor of An-Nahar, a leading newspaper in Lebanon. The judges also paid tribute to the people of Gaza and Syria. 'We cannot talk about the Arab world today without pausing to acknowledge the brutal war on Gaza and the unjust occupation of Palestine,' Ms Al-Oraibi said in a speech. 'And yet, amid all the challenges, we are witnessing a glimmer of hope, after a long and dark period. Hope shines through in beautiful Lebanon, in Syria and, God willing, in my beloved homeland, Iraq.' Mr Mhanna said the ceremony was a message of defiance to anyone attempting to stifle freedom of expression in Lebanon. 'They are pathetic if they believe that a country capable of producing journalism of this calibre, like Samir Kassir did, and embracing the kind of work represented by this year's nominees, actually cares about them,' he said. 'Where else other than Lebanon can journalists banned from their own countries come to be recognised?'
Nahar Net
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
EU rewards journalists from Palestine, Egypt and Syria in Samir Kassir Award
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 June 2025, 11:58 The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon and the Samir Kassir Foundation have announced the results of the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press, in a ceremony held at the Sursock Palace Gardens, in Beirut. This Award, established and funded by the European Union, is recognized internationally as a flagship prize for press freedom and the most prestigious journalism award in the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region. Since 2006, the Award ceremony has been held annually to commemorate the anniversary of Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir's assassination on 2 June 2005 in Beirut, and celebrate his life, his values, and his memory. The Samir Kassir Award is open to professional journalists from eighteen countries of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. This year, a record 372 journalists participated in the competition, hailing from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. 125 candidates competed in the Opinion Piece category, 157 in the Investigative Article category, and 90 in the Audiovisual News Report category. The winner in each of the three categories is awarded a prize of €10,000. Each of the short-listed finalists per category receive a €1,000 prize. The winners of the 2025 Samir Kassir Award are: - Opinion Piece Category: Badar Salem, from Palestine, born in 1980, for her article titled 'On the Normalisation of Sumud in Gaza,' published in Romman Magazine on 19 July 2024. In her piece, Badar critiques the glorification of sumud (steadfastness) in Gaza, arguing that idealizing resilience imposes unrealistic expectations on Palestinians and masks the profound trauma they endure. It calls for shifting from celebrating endurance to recognizing the right to vulnerability, care, and dignity in the face of ongoing violence. - Investigative Reporting Category: Marina Milad, from Egypt, born in 1994, for her investigation titled ''I Have Become Shameful': Syrian Women Leave Prison with a "Stigma"', published in Masrawy on 25 February 2025. This report reveals that after enduring torture, rape, and dehumanization behind bars, many Syrian women emerge into a society that greets them with stigma, rejection, and renewed trauma, instead of empathy and genuine support. - Audiovisual News Reporting Category: Khalil Alashavi, from Syria, born in 1983, for his report titled 'Syria: Children in a Never-Ending War', produced by Tiny Hands and launched on 15 March 2025. The report focuses on the continued plight of Syrian children in their war-torn country, and the years of stolen innocence, which a regime change alone cannot address. Speaking at the ceremony Tuesday, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, said: '50 courageous journalists have received the Samir Kassir Award since 2006. Journalists who, despite the risks, have used their voice to hold the powerful accountable, to expose corruption, and to give a voice to the voiceless. Yet they persist, because, like Samir, they believe that the truth matters and the public has the right to know. And this is what the Samir Kassir Award stands for. More than a recognition of excellence, it has become a platform that brings powerful stories from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf to the world, that sparks difficult but necessary conversations, and that creates a space where journalists can support one another in their mission.' Malek Mrowa, Acting President of the Samir Kassir Foundation, said: 'Over the past two decades our region has endured uprisings, revolutions, counter-revolutions, wars, and exoduses. The targets of oppression keep shifting: one year it is protesters in the street, the next it is women demanding bodily autonomy, the next it is reporters who dare to film a checkpoint. But the core struggle has never changed: the right to think freely, to speak openly, and for citizens to know what is done in their name. That struggle is embodied in every entry we receive for the Samir Kassir Award.' An independent seven-member jury from the Arab League and European Union member states selected the winners. This year's jury gathered Ali Amar (Morocco), editor-in-chief of Le Desk, Antoine Haddad (Lebanon), vice-president of the Saint George University of Beirut and the Samir Kassir Foundation's representative in the jury, Mina Al-Oraibi (Iraq), editor-in-chief at The National, Jean-Pierre Perrin (France), political writer, Paul Radu (Romania), co-founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Natalia Sancha (Spain), journalist, photographer, and communication expert, and Lina Sinjab (Syria), Middle East Correspondent at BBC.
The National
4 days ago
- General
- The National
Lebanon marks 20th anniversary of assassination of Samir Kassir
Lebanon on Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Samir Kassir, a prominent Lebanese journalist and intellectual killed by a car bomb in 2005. Two decades on, the perpetrators of his murder, which was part of a wave of killings of people opposed to the grip Syria had over Lebanon, have never been held accountable. On Sunday an art installation called Dream Manifesto opened on Samir Kassir Square in central Beirut. Named after an article he wrote in 2004, it is part of the Beirut Spring Festival, organised by the Samir Kassir Foundation, and is described as 'a tribute to his belief that, despite our reality, we still have the right, and the power, to dream in this region'. The installation is dedicated to Mr Kassir and his wife Giselle Khoury, a journalist who died after a long battle with cancer in October 2023. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who attended Sunday's event, paid tribute to Mr Kassir, and said 'his word lives on'. 'Today, I recall Samir's voice, thought, and pen – he who carried the cause of freedom and democracy in the face of tyranny and tutelage, and who wrote with the courage of one who knew that the truth is uncompromising,' he said. Speaking at the event, Rana Khoury, the daughter of Giselle, highlighted the important of justice and freedom when remembering Mr Kassir and Ms Khoury. Culture Minister Ghassan Salame echoed this sentiment, calling for accountability for killings, like that of Mr Kassir, that have gone unpunished. Tuesday will bring the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award, which recognises the work of journalists who 'hold the powerful accountable, to expose corruption, and to give a voice to the voiceless', said Sandra De Waele, ambassador to Lebanon of the EU, which grants the award. She said that, 20 years on from its creation, the award 'remains as relevant as ever'. Mr Kassir was well-known for his columns in the popular newspaper Al-Nahar, where he regularly spoke out against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, its influence on Lebanese affairs and the grip of intelligence services on the country. His assassination has often been blamed on the Lebanese armed group and political party Hezbollah – an ally of the Assad regime in Syria, which was deposed last December. He is one of many prominent Lebanese figures assassinated after railing against the Syrian presence in Lebanon. The Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon in April 2005 after nationwide protests over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in a car bombing the previous month. While its troops left, Syria's influence over Lebanon never really went away. But with the Assad regime toppled by a lightning rebel offensive last December and Hezbollah diminished by Israel's war on Lebanon last year, there are renewed hopes that justice may be done for Mr Kassir and others like him. More generally, there is optimism that Lebanon's era of widespread impunity and a judiciary in thrall to political influence may end. The Committee to Protect Journalists, which works to protect press freedom around the world, said the impunity surrounding the murder of Mr Kassir and other journalists killed in Lebanon 'not only dishonours his memory but also sends a chilling message to journalists across the region: that truth-telling can be fatal, and justice may never follow'. Earlier this year, in his first visit to Syria since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Salam requested the new Syrian government's help in handing over suspects linked to bombings in Lebanon. Mr Salam was appointed in January, days after Lebanon ended a two-and-a-half-year presidential vacancy when parliament elected former the army commander Joseph Aoun as the country's new head of state. Mr Aoun has repeatedly reiterated that independence of the judiciary must be respected, while Mr Salam has vowed to reopen the stalled investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut explosion – another national catastrophe for which no one has been held accountable.
LBCI
4 days ago
- General
- LBCI
On the 20th anniversary of Samir Kassir's assassination, PM Salam honors his legacy
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute to the late journalist and intellectual Samir Kassir on Monday, marking 20 years since his assassination. In a post on X, Salam wrote: 'On this day twenty years ago, they succeeded in assassinating the body of Samir Kassir, but his word lived on. Today, I reclaim his voice, his thought, and his pen.' Salam hailed Kassir as a fearless advocate for freedom and democracy who defied tyranny and foreign tutelage. 'He wrote with the courage of someone who knew that truth does not compromise,' he said.
Nahar Net
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
EU launches 20th edition of Samir Kassir Award
by Naharnet Newsdesk 25 February 2025, 11:38 The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched Tuesday the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press. The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,600 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 55 journalists have won the award so far. "Twenty years later, the Samir Kassir Award remains as relevant as ever. For freedom of the press is not merely a principle. It is a fundamental right in any democracy. Without a free press, the next 20 years could see even more violence, oppression and misinformation, not only in the region, but also in Europe and other corners of the world," said the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon Sandra De Waele. Acting President of the Samir Kassir Foundation, Malek Mrowa, added: "The 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award seeks to recognize and celebrate the bravery of journalists whose words and stories defy all weapons and continue to shine a light in the darkest corners. It will be granted amid pains that reached their peak during the past year, and new hopes drawn by radical, developing changes." The Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press is open to professional journalists from North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. The deadline for sending in contributions is 1 April 2025. Three awards will be granted for the best: - Opinion Article - Investigative Article - Audiovisual News Report The contributions must be centered on one or more of the following topics: rule of law, human rights, good governance, fight against corruption, freedom of expression, democratic development, and citizen participation. The winner of each of the three categories will receive a prize of €10,000. The jury will be composed of seven voting members from Arab and European media and one observer representing the European Union. The names of the winners will be communicated during the prize-awarding ceremony, which will take place on 3 June 2025 in Beirut, one day after the 20th anniversary of Samir Kassir's assassination. The contest regulations, application forms, rules, and conditions are available on the Award's website: Registration closes on 1 April 2025. For more information: coordination@
