[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1485788955372{padding-top: 250px !important;padding-bottom: 250px !important;background-image: url(https://www.indexoncensorship.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2009-logo-500×319.jpg?id=81634) !important;background-position: 0 0 !important;background-repeat: repeat !important;}”][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1472525914065{margin-top: -150px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column_inner el_class=”awards-inside-desc” width=”1/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARDS 2009″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards exist to celebrate individuals or groups who have had a significant impact fighting censorship anywhere in the world.
- Awards were offered in five categories: Film, Journalism, Books, Law and New Media
- Winners were honoured at a gala celebration in London at Kings Place
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”81655″ img_size=”460×260″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1472608310682{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”WINNERS” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1477036676595{margin-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Psiphon” title=”The Economist New Media Award” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81661″]Psiphon is a revolutionary software programme that allows Internet access in countries where censorship is imposed. The programme turns a regular home computer into a personal, encrypted server, capable of retrieving and displaying web pages anywhere. Psiphon was developed as a human rights software project by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. One of its aims is to design software that is easy to use, so that those with limited technical abilities can take advantage of the technology.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Malik Imtiaz Sarwar” title=”Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81666″]Malik Imtiaz Sarwar is a leading human rights lawyer and activist and the current president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM). Imtiaz has been a central figure in fighting lawsuits brought against journalists and bloggers, and was the lead counsel for Raja Petra Kamaruddin, popular blogger and editor of Malaysia Today, whose release he secured last year. In August 2006, a poster declaring him to be a traitor to Islam and calling for his death was circulated in Malaysia. He has proposed setting up an inter-faith council, and spoken in a series of public forums on the need for religious freedom.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”The Sunday Leader” title=”Guardian Journalism Award” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81665″]The Sunday Leader and its journalists have been subject to continual threats and brutal harassment since it was launched 15 years ago. The assassination of the Sunday Leader’s editor and co-founder Lasantha Wickrematunge in January provoked protests and vigils around the world. His brother Lal has since bravely taken on the position of editor, continuing the important work of the newspaper.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”The Devil Came on Horseback” title=”Index Film Award” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”94919″]Using the exclusive photographs and first-hand testimony of former US Marine Captain Brian Steidle, The Devil Came on Horseback takes the viewer on an emotionally-charged journey into the heart of Darfur.  Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate; he was unprepared for what he would witness and experience, including being fired at, taken hostage, and being unable to intervene to save the lives of young children. Ultimately frustrated by the inaction of the international community, Steidle resigned and returned to the US to expose the images and stories of lives he believed were being systematically destroyed.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Beijing Coma by Ma Jian” title=”TR Fyvel Book Award” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81660″]Spiked with dark wit, poetic beauty and deep rage, Beijing Coma takes the life (and near death) of one young student to create a dazzling novel about contemporary China. In May 1989, tens of thousands of students are camped out in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. But what started as a united protest at the slow pace of their government’s political reform has begun to lose direction. People from all over China are coming to join the demonstration, but the students at its heart are confused by the influence they suddenly wield, and riven by petty in-fighting. One of them, Dai Wei, argues about everything from democracy to the distribution of food to protesters, little knowing that, on 4 June, a soldier will shoot a bullet into his head, sending him into a deep coma.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”JUDGING” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_row_inner el_class=”mw700″][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Criteria – Anyone involved in tackling free expression threats – either through journalism, campaigning, the arts or using digital techniques – is eligible for nomination.
Any individual, group or NGO can nominate or self-nominate. There is no cost to apply.
Judges look for courage, creativity and resilience. We shortlist on the basis of those who are deemed to be making the greatest impact in tackling censorship in their chosen area, with a particular focus on topics that are little covered or tackled by others.
Nominees must have had a recognisable impact in the past 12 months.
Where a judge comes from a nominee’s country, or where there is any other potential conflict of interest, the judge will abstain from voting in that category.
Panel – Each year Index recruits an independent panel of judges – leading world voices with diverse expertise across campaigning, journalism, the arts and human rights.
The judges for 2009 were:
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Shaheed Fatima” title=”Barrister” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81569″]Shaheed Fatima is a barrister whose work encompasses a wide range of human rights work, advising and acting for governments, NGOs and individuals on constitutional and human rights issues. Fatima won the Liberty/Justice Human Rights Lawyer of the Year Award in 2007 and has been ranked in both Chambers & Partners 2010 and Legal 500 2009. She has appeared in many cases, including recently at the European Court of Human Rights in a key case regarding the applicability of Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights to killings by British soldiers in post-war Iraq.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Emily Bell” title=”Director of Digital Content, Guardian News and Media” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81567″]Emily Bell has worked for the Observer and the Guardian for the past 18 years, setting up mediaguardian.co.uk in 2000 and becoming editor-in-chief of Guardian Unlimited in 2001. In September 2006, Bell was promoted to the new position of director of digital content for Guardian News and Media. Guardian.co.uk, the Guardian and Observer’s network of websites, has won many awards, including the prestigious Webby for Best Newspaper on the web in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Bell writes a regular column for Media Guardian on media policy issues.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Mark Kermode” title=”Film Critic” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81669″]Mark Mermode is a film critic, broadcaster and musician. Resident film critic for many BBC programmes such as Radio Five Love and the News Channel, he also frequently contributes to The Culture Show and Newsnight Review. He is contributing editor to Sight & Sound, a regular writer for the Observer. He has a PhD in modern English and American horror fiction, and is a fello of the English and Film Department of Southampton University. He plays the double bass in The Dodge Brothers.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Christina Lamb” title=”Journalist” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81670″]Christina Lamb is a foreign affairs correspondent for The Sunday Times and a bestselling author. An unexpected wedding invitation at the age of 21 resulted in her moving to Peshawar and travelling to Afghanistan to accompany mujaheddin fighting the Soviet occupation. Since then Lamb has spent the last 20 years reporting from all over the world, becoming once of Britain’s leading foreign correspondents and winning numerous awards. She has been named foreign correspondent of the year five time in Britain’s press awards and has written five books. The most recent is Small Wars Permitting, a collection of her reportage.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][staff name=”Martin Rynja ” title=”Publishing Director, Gibson Square Books” color=”#28a7cc” profile_image=”81634″]Martin Rynja is the publishing director of Gibson Square Books.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1473325552363{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 15px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1473325567468{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][awards_gallery_slider name=”GALLERY” images_url=”81659,81657,81656,81655,81654,81653,81652,81651,81650,81649,81648,81647,81646,81645,81644,81643,81642,81641,81640,81639,81638,81637,81636″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
