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WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY ADVANCER
STORY: UN / WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY ADVANCER
TRT: 2.08
SOURCE: UNESCO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: RECENT, PARIS, FRANCE/ FILE
FILE – UNKNOWN DATE AND LOCATION
1. Various shots, Ahmad Zeidabadi
RECENT, PARIS, FRANCE
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“The prize will go to an Iranian journalist, Ahmad Zeidabadi, who was jailed after the last elections in Iran. And I think that by this decision, both the jury and myself, we send a message, I would say, of courage, a message of defence of freedom of expression independent of what the political circumstances in different countries might be. It is also a message that journalists should not be in jail because of their opinion.”
FILE – UNKNOWN DATE AND LOCATION
3. Med shot, Ahmad Zeidabadi speaking
RECENT, PARIS, FRANCE
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“Most of them are not journalists who are killed on some big conflict, on better ground as we say, but most of them are local journalists; journalists who denounce corruption, or who denounce some practice, or trafficking, or illegal activities. So this is, I believe, the most disturbing phenomenon that we are witnessing.”
FILE – UNKNOWN DATE AND LOCATION
5. Various shots, still photos of Ahmad Zeidabadi
RECENT, PARIS, FRANCE
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“It’s twenty years since the adoption of the declaration, respective declaration on the freedom of expression in Windhoek. It was symbolic because it was in the African continent, it was in a country which also was coming out of a long period of, I would say, dependence and not being a free country, and it was also symbolic because they were journalists themselves that got together and adopted the Windhoek declaration.”
FILE – UNKNOWN DATE AND LOCATION
7. Zoom out, newspaper printing press
Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, imprisoned Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi has been chosen as the winner of this year’s UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. He was selected by an independent international jury of 12 media professionals.
Zeidabadi is currently serving a six-year jail sentence following Iran’s presidential election in 2009.
A former editor-in-chief of the Azad newspaper and contributor to the Tehran-based daily Hamshahari, the BBC Persian service, and the Persian/English news site Rooz, he is also a member of the Association of Iranian Journalists, and the elected president of one of Iran's largest student organizations, the Iranian Alumni Association. He is also a professor of political science, and has lectured at numerous academic institutions.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, endorsed the jury’s decision.
SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“The prize will go to an Iranian journalist, Ahmad Zeidabadi, who was jailed after the last elections in Iran. And I think that by this decision, both the jury and myself, we send a message, I would say, of courage, a message of defence of freedom of expression independent of what the political circumstances in different countries might be. It is also a message that journalists should not be in jail because of their opinion.”
In recognition of the concerns expressed by the international jury for his health and well-being, Bokova called for Zeidabadi’s release from prison.
The Director-General noted that 60 journalist were killed in 2011 around the world, mostly as reprisals for denouncing corruption or crimes.
SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“Most of them are not journalists who are killed on some big conflict, on better ground as we say, but most of them are local journalists; journalists who denounce corruption, or who denounce some practice, or trafficking, or illegal activities. So this is, I believe, the most disturbing phenomenon that we are witnessing.”
Zeidabadi was among dozens of Iranian journalists detained following the 2009 election. Along with 40 other journalists and 100 prominent supporters of the country's pro-reform movement, he was tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the Government with a soft revolution. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment followed by five years internal exile, and banned for life from practicing his profession as a journalist. At least 26 other journalists are also still behind bars.
Bokova pointed out that this year’s World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May, coincides with the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Windhoek declaration, in Windhoek, Namibia.
SOUNDBITE (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
“It’s twenty years since the adoption of the declaration, respective declaration on the freedom of expression in Windhoek. It was symbolic because it was in the African continent, it was in a country which also was coming out of a long period of, I would say, dependence and not being a free country, and it was also symbolic because they were journalists themselves that got together and adopted the Windhoek declaration.”
The UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was created in 1997 by UNESCO’s Executive Board. It is awarded annually during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. It honours the work of an individual or an organization defending or promoting freedom of expression anywhere in the world, especially if this action puts the individual’s life at risk.
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