World Association of Newspapers (Paris)

PRESS RELEASE
December 19, 2005
Posted to the web December 22, 2005


Two Tunisian freedom of expression activists and journalists from Sierra Leone and Swaziland were awarded the Novib/PEN awards in November 2005.

Each received a cash prize of Euro 2,500. Tunisian journalist Sihem Bensedrine, editor of the online magazine Kalima (www.kalimatunisie.com), and writer and academic Om Zied (Neziha Rejiba) have suffered harassment and intimidation at the hands of the Tunisian authorities, and the Kalima website remains blocked by the government and is only accessible outside the country.

Novelist and columnist Sarah Mkhonza was forced to flee from Swaziland after she wrote openly about the violation of human rights in her country. The same fate befell Claudia Anthony from Sierra Leone, whose critical articles in the newspaper For Di People were a constant thorn in the side of the authorities. In the late 1990s, Anthony was forced to relocate to Germany.

All four journalists were recognised at a prize giving ceremony on 17 November in The Netherlands. The Novib/PEN awards are hosted by the non governmental organisation Novib and the International PEN Emergency Fund to persecuted writers.


Women and Gender
Tunisia