PARIS: The United Nations’ cultural agency said Wednesday that it had awarded its annual press freedom prize to two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar over their reporting on the killings of Rohingya Muslims in the country.
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been behind bars since December 2017, detained on claims of violating state secrets.
“They were arrested because they documented a taboo topic regarding crimes committed against Rohingyas,” said Wojciech Tochman, a Polish reporter who headed the jury for the UNESCO prize.
The Guillermo Cano prize, named for a Colombian journalist gunned down in Bogota in 1986, will be awarded on May 2 at a ceremony in Ethiopia on the eve of World Press Freedom Day.
Rights groups have denounced the jailing of the two Myanmar nationals as an attempt to muzzle criticism of the government’s treatment of the Rohingya minority.
At the time of their arrest the reporters were probing the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men at Inn Din village in northern Rakhine state.
They were convicted of possessing classified information regarding security operations in Rakhine, from where an estimated 740,000 Rohingya fled during an army-led crackdown the United Nations has described as “ethnic cleansing.”
They were sentenced to seven years in prison. In February, lawyers lodged an appeal with Myanmar’s Supreme Court.
“Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo symbolize their country’s emergence after decades of isolation,” beginning with landmark elections in 2015 which ended decades of military rule, said Tochman.
Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was awarded a Nobel prize over her push for democracy, has refused to use her influence to secure a pardon for the reporters.
Jailed Reuters journalists in Myanmar win UN press freedom prize
Jailed Reuters journalists in Myanmar win UN press freedom prize
- Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been behind bars since December 2017
- The Guillermo Cano prize will be awarded on May 2 in Ethiopia on the eve of World Press Freedom Day
RT Arabic to launch new TV program marking 100 years of Russia-Saudi relations
- The program will broadcast twice a month starting next month
RIYADH: Russian news network, RT Arabic, is set to launch a new analytical program, “Studio Riyadh,” from the capital next month as part of celebrations marking 100 years of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Saudi Arabia.
The program will be hosted by veteran Saudi journalist Mohammed Al-Rashed and broadcast twice a month, starting February 2026. It will provide in-depth analysis of regional and international developments, featuring prominent political and media figures.
Maya Manna, head of RT Arabic, said that the launch aligned with commemorations of the historic ties between the two countries and reflected a growing commitment to media cooperation.
“Studio Riyadh” will join RT Arabic’s lineup of international programs broadcast from major capitals including Beirut, Cairo, Washington and Paris.
Each 26-minute episode will air on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and feature a focused dialogue on a pressing current affairs topic.
Al-Rashed, a seasoned presenter and correspondent with more than 20 years of experience, is expected to bring deep regional insight and journalistic rigor to the program.
RT Arabic, which was the first Russian news channel to broadcast 24/7 in Arabic, has grown into one of the region’s leading platforms for political analysis. It currently reaches an estimated audience of 400 million viewers and operates a broad network of regional bureaus.
