RT HONORS WAR CORRESPONDENTS FROM RUSSIA, SYRIA AND INDIA IN KHALED ALKHATEB AWARDS 2020
MOSCOW, JULY 30, 2020— Journalists from Russia, Syria and India are the winners of Khaled Alkhateb Memorial Awards 2020 — the annual international awards recognizing excellence in warzone reporting. The Awards were launched by the TV news network in honor of RT Arabic journalist Khaled Alkhateb, who died while reporting from Syria in 2017.
“The award recognizes the work of war correspondents who travel to conflict zones every year, armed only with a camera and a microphone. Not even the global coronavirus epidemic could interrupt their reporting this year. We thank everyone who submitted their entries and congratulate the winners,” said RT's deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina.
The Khaled Alkhateb International Memorial Awards 2020 is presented in three categories: Best Video Journalism from a Conflict Zone: Long Form; Best Video Journalism from a Conflict Zone: Short Form; and Best Written Journalism from a Conflict Zone. Entries were submitted by journalists from 16 countries, including the US, Norway, Egypt and others.
WINNERS:
1. Best Video Journalism from a Conflict Zone: Short Form.
— Mohamed Ali (Syria), ‘Idlib frontline calm as ceasefire goes into effect’.
The report covers the situation in the Syrian province of Idlib, where a ceasefire deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey.
2. Best Video Journalism from a Conflict Zone: Long Form.
— Alexander Konevich (Russia), ‘Russian military in Syria’.
A series of reports that tell about the efforts of the Russian Armed Forces, who not only assist the Syrian military, but also help the civilian population in Syria to overcome the consequences of the ongoing conflict.
3. Best Written Journalism from a Conflict Zone.
— Ruchi Kumar (India), ‘Why Iran is deporting scores of Afghan refugees’.
The report tells about the difficult conditions of Afghan refugees in Iran. Every year, Iran's authorities deport hundreds of thousands of people from their country.
Judging was conducted by an international jury of news media professionals and experts on the subject of war and armed conflicts. Among them is industry veteran Tom Wragg, who currently serves as a Director at the Association for International Broadcasters. Tom began his career at the BBC, eventually becoming Head of Production for BBC News and Current Affairs. Other high-profile jurors included Eva Golinger, a lawyer, journalist and writer specializing in the field of international law and foreign policy between Latin America and the US; RT war correspondent Murad Gazdiev who covered major armed conflicts of recent years and reported on the massive protests taking place around the world; Gian Micalessin, war correspondent for the Italian newspaper Il Giornale; Ahmed Gomaa, an expert on Arab countries and a correspondent for Egypt's Youm7 newspaper; and Konstantinos Antonopoulos, a journalist from Greece and a winner of multiple international awards.
RT has also welcomed one of Russia's most well-known journalists as a Khaled Alkhateb International Memorial Awards 2020 juror. War correspondent Evgeny Poddubny is a three-time winner of the prestigious Russian TEFI award for his work on the frontlines around the world.
The Khaled Alkhateb International Memorial Awards were launched in honor of 25-year-old journalist Khaled Alkhateb, who worked with RT’s Arabic-language channel. Khaled was killed by an ISIS shell in the eastern suburb of Homs, Syria on July 30, 2017, covering the ongoing fighting in his home country.
