International Press Freedom Award Goes To Jailed Cameroon Journalist Ahmed Abba

April 18, 2023 9:52 pm72 commentsViews: 147

The 2017 International Press Freedom Award is awarded to Ahmed Abba, service journalist of Radio France International’s Hausa, who is the only African awarded this year with the prize and was sentenced to ten years in prison earlier this year by a Cameroon military tribunal.

Media rights body named Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) awards the annual prize to honor those press people who have shown courage amid threats, attacks or imprisonment to defend press freedom.

Ahmad Abba shares the award with Mexical journalist Patricia Mayorga, Yemeni reporter and blogger Afran Nasser, and Pravit Rojanaphruk from Thailand.

He was arrested on 30 July 2015 in Maroua for laundering of the proceeds of terrorist acts and non-denunciation of terrorism. He was convicted in April this year, but escaped death penalty.

Initially he was tortured by Cameroonian authorities and later transferred to capital Yaounde. For more than 600 days he has been behind the bars here.

The conviction and sentencing were unfair, notes Amnesty International.

The International Press Freedom Award first started in 1991 and since then dozens of journalists have been awarded.

CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said, “Journalists around the world face growing threats and pressure. Those we honor are the most courageous and committed. They stand as an example that journalism matters.”

The awarding event is scheduled to be held on November 15 this year at a dinner in New York City.

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