Syrian journalist Mazen Darwish was selected as the winner of the 2015 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize.

The source of the material: EU2015.LV

For the third year running, the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation is supporting the World Press Freedom Prize.

Syrian journalist and human rights activist, Mazen Darwish, has been selected as the laureate of the UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The official award ceremony took place at the National Library of Latvia on the World Press Freedom Day, 3 May.

Mazen Darwish has been active as an advocate of press freedom in Syria for more than a decade, at great personal sacrifice, enduring a travel ban, harassment, as well as repeated arrests and torture. He has been detained since February 2012. Mazen Darwish has contributed considerably to the promotion of freedom of expression, including as president of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression. He was one of the founders of the Voice newspaper, Media Club, the first Syrian magazine about media affairs and syriaview.net, an independent news site, which has been banned by the Syrian authorities.

The foundation has also pledged to support the prize in the next two coming years.

At the closing ceremony, Finland was announced as the host of the next World Press Freedom Day in 2016.

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UNESCO World Press Freedom Day 2015, official links:

Photos – https://adb.eu2015.lv/photo/world-press-freedom-day-2015-03-05-2015

Videos from the conference – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodeDt40MJHIn3RySjPalhqJ1SmyK1QeY

Opening ceremony, HD quality file https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8IaKRDNdJnibTIxazZfZnkzVkE/view?invite=CPTXljg  

At closing of World Press Freedom Day, Finland is announced to be host of next event – https://eu2015.lv/news/media-releases/1574-at-closing-of-world-press-freedom-day-finland-is-announced-to-be-host-of-next-event

All pictures and video files can be downloaded and used free of charge. The source of the material should be indicated as EU2015.LV.