The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched today, February 15, the 19th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press.  

The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honours the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,400 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 50 journalists have won the award so far.

“It is quite sad that after 19 years, the Samir Kassir Award remains as relevant as ever, because the work of journalists is not only becoming increasingly difficult, but also increasingly dangerous. It is important to continue defending the freedom of the press for journalists to be able to do their work safely and for their audiences to be able to hear what it is they have to tell us,” said the Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon Sandra De Waele.

“This year has been very difficult for the Arab world. It was also a tragic one for journalists as killings rose sharply. The Samir Kassir Award is of paramount importance: It perpetuates Ms. Gisèle Khoury’s work in making it one of the most prestigious prizes in the Arab world,” Samir Kassir Foundation’s Acting President Malek Mrowa stated. 

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 April 1, 2024. Three awards will be granted for the best: 

- Opinion Article

- Investigative Article

- Audiovisual News Report

The contributions must be centred 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 June 4, 2024 in Beirut, two days after the 19th anniversary of Samir Kassir’s assassination. 

The contest regulations, application forms, rules, and conditions are available on the Award’s website: www.samirkassiraward.org

Registration closes on April 1, 2024.

For more information: coordination@prixsamirkassir.org