Forbidden Stories winners of first edition of Daphne Prize

14.10.2021 12:30

Forbidden Stories winners of first edition of Daphne Prize

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Quaestor David Casa addressing an event honouring Daphne Caruana Galizia at the European Parliament
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The European Parliament recognizes the journalists’ work on the Pegasus Project

The winners of the first edition of The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism are Forbidden Stories, for their work on The Pegasus Project. A team of independent judges hailing from the journalistic and media sectors chose the winner, after a period of submissions earlier this year.

Representative of Forbidden Stories received the award during a ceremony held in the Press Room of the European Parliament in Brussels this afternoon. Member of the European Parliament David Casa, who spearheaded the creation of the prize, attended the event, which was also addressed by the European Parliament President David Maria Sassoli.

Congratulating Forbidden Stories on their success, MEP Casa said: “Europe needs more Forbidden Stories. The details revealed in both the Pegasus Project as well as the Daphne Project confirm the risks that journalists, opinion leaders, civil society, politicians and other individuals face. This Prize should serve as an eye-opener to all those who threaten, try to silence, and try to murder journalists: the European Parliament will do its utmost to protect journalists and democracies in all the EU Member States.” Quaestor David Casa thanked journalists for their courage and determination to expose what others try to keep secret, for keeping politicians in check, and for ensuring that democracies are kept alive.

The Pegasus Project saw the involvement of more than 80 journalists from 17 media organisations work together to reveal the details of the alleged espionage being made by clients of NSO Group, using the Pegasus software. Victims of the misuse of this spyware include the European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, journalists and activists in Hungary, as well as activists in Azerbaijan.

The second edition of The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism should be held in October 2022.

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