NASIM SOLTANBEYGI

Journalism Award | Winner | Freedom of Expression Awards

Index on Censorship announces Iranian journalist and human rights defender Nasim Soltanbeygi as the winner of the 2024 Freedom of Expression Awards in the Journalism category.

The Journalism category pays tribute to courageous, high-impact and determined journalism that exposes censorship and threats to free expression.

Nasim Soltanbeygi said: “Censorship in Iran creates new boundaries every day. Security institutions expand censorship by arresting, summoning, and implementing illegal practices. Iran is on the list of the 10 countries with the largest prisons for journalists, and in the past year, more than 280 legal cases have been filed against journalists. Despite this, we independent journalists have always stood by the truth and the people. Despite the threats and the difficulties of the challenging path to freedom, I believe that a free press is the way to illuminate the truth and the path to achieving a humane society.”

As a journalist for over 15 years, Soltanbeygi has focused on politics, women’s rights and social issues for Iranian journals, newspapers, and news agencies. During the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, Soltanbeygi contacted foreign journalists to ensure the story of the protests and the clampdown reached international audiences. In July 2023, Nasim was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison on the charge of “gathering and colluding against national security” and eight months in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state”. She was released after four months for medical reasons.

Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship, said: “When I think of fearless reporters I think of Nasim. She works in an incredibly challenging environment and yet still manages to bring to the world the most important news stories out of her country. The hope that filled the streets in those months straight after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini remains in people like Nasim and we will continue to do what we can to help her.”

The Freedom of Expression Awards celebrate the brave efforts of individuals and organisations worldwide to protect free expression, advocate for the right to information, and combat censorship. Selected by a distinguished panel of judges, the winners are honoured for their extraordinary courage and commitment to truth, justice, and human rights—often in the face of serious threats, including harassment, imprisonment, and even death.

The jury panel for the 2024 awards is made up of Baroness Hollick OBE; Ziyad Marar, President of Global Publishing at Sage; Sir Trevor Phillips OBE, chair of Index on Censorship; Ben Preston, Culture Editor of The Times & Sunday Times; Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship.