CJFE announces award recipients

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has announced the three recipients for its 2008 press freedom awards

Sami al-Haj of Sudan and Shakeman Mugari of Zimbabwe will be honoured in December for “extraordinary courage and
overcoming tremendous odds to report the news.”

In addition, Hamilton Spectator managing editor Jim Poling is set to receive the Vox Libera Award for
his commitment to freedom of the press.

“This year we honour three journalists who have never compromised their
principles and journalistic integrity,” said Carol Off, Chair of the
CJFE Awards committee, in a press release. “Our honourees embody the true essence of
journalism and anti censorship – their efforts send a strong message
that the truth cannot be silenced.”

Al-Haj is an Al-Jazeera reporter and was held at Guantanamo Bay for six years without being formally charged or facing trial while Mugari criticized Zimbabwe’s government for abuse of power and human rights abuses while working as a reporter for the Zimbabwe Independent and as a Globe and Mail stringer.

The Spec’s Poling created a pair of year-long internships for foreign-trained journalists living in Canada.

The awards will be given out in Toronto on December 8.