Maryna Zolatava awarded with the Johann Philipp Palm Prize
Belarusian journalist Maryna Zolatava has been awarded the prize as a «person of extraordinary courage and sincerity». The former editor-in-chief of the TUT.BY portal was nominated by the «Reporters Without Borders» organization. The award ceremony will take place in December 2024 in the German city of Schorndorf.
The Johann-Philipp-Palm Prize is awarded to individuals or organizations that «demonstrate outstanding commitment to the realization of freedom of expression and freedom of the press». The prize is awarded to two individuals or organizations. The total prize fund is €20,000, which is divided equally between the winners. The prize is awarded every even-numbered year on the first Sunday in December in Schorndorf.
This year, along with Maryna Zolatava, the award was given to the news website on human rights in Afghanistan, «ZanTimes».
«In the face of enormous obstacles and repressive measures by the state apparatus, Maryna Zolatava has proven herself to be a person of extraordinary courage and sincerity,» stated «Reporters Without Borders» and the advisory board of the Palm Foundation.
In November 2023, Maryna Zolatava was also nominated for the prestigious «Reporters Without Borders» Press Freedom Award in the «Courage» category.
The case of Maryna Zolatava
Maryna Zolatava, the editor-in-chief of TUT.BY, was arrested on May 18, 2021. She was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment under two articles of the Criminal Code: calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus (Part 3 of Article 361) and inciting hostility or enmity (Part 3 of Article 130).
On August 18, 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included the political prisoner in the «List of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, or stateless persons who are involved in extremist activities». She is serving her sentence in penal colony No. 4.