Canada and UK announce recipient of the 2022 Media Freedom Award

Canada and UK announce recipient of the 2022 Media Freedom Award

Phạm Đoan Trang

Source: Global Affairs Canada

On 10 February 2022 , during the third Global Media Freedom Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, awarded the 2022 Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award to Vietnamese journalist Pham Doan Trang.

The Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom award recognises the work of those who have defended journalists, or championed media freedom at a local level, honouring less recognized organisations, campaigns and individuals in their fight against impunity. Established in 2020, it provides recognition to those who advocate for media freedom, whether directly or indirectly.

Ms. Trang is known for her books on democracy and her articles on civil society and dissidents in Vietnam. An advocate for human rights and the rule of law, Ms. Trang has written about the important environmental issues. Reporters Without Borders awarded the Press Freedom Prize to Ms. Trang in 2019, in recognition of this work.

In December 2021, Ms. Trang was sentenced to nine years in prison for “propaganda against the State.” She spent 434 days in detention leading up to her sentencing.