Maziar Bahari
Best international reporting in any medium dealing with human rights
AWARD DATE: 2009
AWARD NAME: The Joe and Laurie Dine Award 2009
AWARD RECIPIENT: Maziar Bahari
AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: Newsweek
AWARD HONORED WORK: “118 Days in Hell”
Reporting for Newsweek on Iran’s contested 2009 presidential election, Maziar Bahari was arrested by the country’s notorious security forces and ended up as part of the story. His cover feature based on his incarceration tells of his harrowing experience in Evin prison, long known for torture of political prisoners, executions, and forced confessions. Bahari’s piece breaks down how Evin prison operates, the paranoid framework of the hardliners now in charge in Iran, and how international pressure on the regime actually does work. Even as he is forced to make a false confession, Bahari writes with humor and insight, giving the world an accessible portrait of Iran’s leaders, people and future. His courageous and eloquent reporting helps Iran’s struggle come alive.
Citation(s) for Excellence:
Monica Garnsey, Arash Sahami, Ken Dornstein, David Fanning, Sharon Tiller
Frontline/WGBH
“A Death in Tehran”
Barbara Demick
Los Angeles Times
“China’s Broken Families”
Ravi Nessman
Associated Press
“Sri Lanka’s Civil War”