RSF Press Freedom Awards: the 2025 laureates

Every year, the RSF Press Freedom Awards recognise the work of journalists and media outlets that have made a significant contribution to defending and promoting press freedom worldwide. The awards ceremony was hosted by Steven Jambot, producer of the weekly programme "L'Atelier des médias" at Radio France Internationale (RFI). Among the guest speakers were photographer Pierre Ciot, representing the Society of Authors in the Visual and Still Image Arts (SAIF), and actress and filmmaker Aïssa Maïga, daughter of Malian journalist Mohamed Maïga; the RSF-Mohamed Maïga African Investigative Journalism Prize is awarded in his memory.

Fifteen journalists, nine media outlets and journalist collectives and five photojournalists from 18 different countries were nominated for the 2025 awards. They competed in five categories: Courage, Impact and Independence awards, the Lucas Dolega-SAIF Photo Award, and the RSF-Mohamed Maïga African Investigative Journalism Award. Introduced in 2024, the latter is awarded by the Mohamed Maïga Association in partnership with RSF and recognises the exemplary work of an African investigative journalist addressing subjects close to Mohamed Maïga's heart: human rights, the environment, education, and the right to reliable information.

The awards were given to Sevinj Vagifgizi, editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, for her unwavering commitment and determination, even in prison, where she has been detained since 21 November 2023 (Courage category); to Bisan Owda, the Palestinian journalist whose heartwrenching catchphrase "It's Bisan from Gaza, and I'm still alive," is known the world over(Impact Prize); to award-winning documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe, recognised for her work on environmental issues and the impact of Myanmar's civil war (Independence Prize); to Burkinabe journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of L'Évènement, a landmark investigative publication (Mohamed Maïga Prize for African Investigative Journalism); and to French photojournalist Robin Tutengesfor his work in Ethiopia, where he travelled undercover (Lucas Dolega-SAIF Photo Prize).

The jury for the 33rd edition was composed of journalists, defenders of freedom of expression, and photojournalists from around the world, and chaired by RSF President, French journalist and political commentator Pierre Haski.

The Courage Prize

Sevinj Vagifgizi (Azerbaijan)

Sentenced to nine years in prison on 20 June 2025 on clearly fabricated charges, Abzas Mediaeditor Sevinj Vagifgizi continues to be the indomitable voiceof the independent media in Azerbaijan. She refuses to give in to fear and, during her trial, she boldly asserted that "the truth is what the government fears most." In prison, this young journalist has devised a form of personal resistance, adapting to daily prison life while continuing her work as a journalist. In retaliation, she was "punished" this summer when the prison director conditioned her access to an electric fan, essential in Baku's extreme heat, on her ceasing to write about human rights violations. What's more, on 25 September, the journalist and her women colleagues from Abzas Mediawere suddenly transferred to a prison located nearly three hours from Baku, making it much harder for her family and lawyers to visit her - a new form of pressure. Her commitment, her determination in the face of pressure, and her stubborn refusal to remain silent in the face of injustice embody dignity and hope.

The Impact Prize

Bisan Owda (Palestine)

"It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm still alive." This has become her signature. For a journalist in Gaza, reminding people that you're alive is no small matter, given that the Israel Defence Forces have killed more than 200 media professionals since 7 October 2023. Bisan Owda, 21, has continued to tell the world about the horrors experienced by the people of Gaza. With 4.9 million followers on Instagram and 1.4 million on TikTok, her catchphrase has also become the title of her Emmy-winning show, which airs on Al-Jazeera's AJ+channel.

The Independence Prize

Shin Daewe (Myanmar)

An award-winning reporter and documentary filmmaker, Shin Daewe is renowned for her work on environmental issues and the impact of the civil war. On 10 January 2024, a military court sentenced her to life imprisonment - later reduced to 15 years - for "complicity in terrorism." This was the harshest sentence passed on a journalist since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021. Shin Daewe had freelanced for several media outlets in recent years and had worked in the past for the Burmese service of Radio Free Asia (RFA).

The Mohamed Maïga Prize for African Investigative Journalism

Atiana Serge Oulon (Burkina Faso)

The publisher of L'Événement, a leading investigative newspaper in Burkina Faso, Atiana Serge Oulon was one of the last Burkinabe journalists to dare to cover security issues. In December 2022, he published an investigation into a high-ranking military officer's suspected embezzlement of funds intended for the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP). As a result, he was brought before a military tribunal. As well as being the author of award-winning investigations, he has written several books that, inter alia, have examined the rise of terrorism and military coups. He was abducted from his home on 24 June 2024 by suspected members of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) and is thought to have been forcibly conscripted into the army.

Lucas Dolega-SAIF Photo Award

Robin Tutenges (France)

Fano's Kingdom (Ethiopia, 2025)

This French photographer and journalist travelled clandestinely to the Amhara region of Ethiopia in May 2025 to report on the Fano, the region's nationalist militia, covering their insurrection against federal forces in the capital, Addis Ababa, amid reports of increasing abuses against civilians.