A photojournalist who has been in prison for nearly five years since his arrest for covering a demonstration in Cairo has been selected to receive this year’s press freedom prize from the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, the UN said on Monday. 'The choice of Mahmoud Abu Zeid pays tribute to his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression,' says Maria Ressa, president of the independent international jury of media professionals on the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

MANILA, Philippines – Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, is the recipient of the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. “The choice of Mahmoud Abu Zeid pays tribute to his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression,” 

 Maria Ressa, President of the Jury



Shawkan, a photojournalist, has been in jail since 14 August 2013 when he was arrested while covering a demonstration at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo. He was arrested while covering violent clashes between supporters of ousted President Morsi and security forces in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo, which left hundreds of Islamist protesters dead. It slammed a decision by the Egyptian prosecution in March to seek the death penalty against Shawkan. Read more: Freedom of the press in Turkey: a slippery slope; Interview Özgür Mumcu

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions has determined Shawkan's arrest and detention is arbitrary and contrary to the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This year’s theme is “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law.”

UNESCO said the Prize “recognizes a person, organization, or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger.”

The Prize is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia, on 17 December 1986.
United Nations cultural authority UNESCO awards imprisoned Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid the 2018 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, drawing criticism from Egypt. Abu Zeid faces the death penalty.