March 17, 2021
Kabul- Three journalists, including two women, were honored with the Afghanistan Journalists of the Year Award for 2021 during a special ceremony in Kabul on March 17.
The award, given by the Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC), recognizes the exceptional work and dedication of journalists who have gone above and beyond to report on important stories. The winners were Liyaqat Layeeq of Etilaat-e-Roz for his report on the misuse of a contingency fund, 91 Policy Code, Fakhria Radfar of Payk investigative journalism for her report on unregistered religious schools guarded by illegal armed men, and Asiya Hamzayee of Hasht-e-Subh for her feature on Hanifa, a victim of a brutal terrorist attack at Kabul University.
The three journalists received the highest scores and were jointly recognized as the winners, receiving a Crystal Plaque and US$500. This is the second consecutive year that liyaqat Layeeq has received the Journalist of the Year Award, having won last year for his story on the contingency fund, 91 Policy Code. The panel of judges reviewed a total of 50 applications from across the country and shortlisted 13 applicants who received the highest scores.
In addition to the Journalist of the Year, AFJC also recognized the top 10 journalists whose stories scored highly in this year's competition, presenting them with certificates of recognition. These journalists include Mojtaba Bigzad from Hasht-e-Subh daily, Esmatullah Soroush from Etilaat-e-Roz, Ahmad Sohib Hasrat from Pajhwok, Alishir Shahir from Subh-e-Kabul daily, Somaia Valizada from Killid Radio, Zabihullah Ghazi from VOA, SamiuRahman Rahmani from Shamshad TV, Behishta Aziz from Afghan Women’s News Agency, Mobaser Maroof from Arezo TV, and Hedayatullah Zyarmal from Salaam Times.
AFJC launched the Afghanistan Journalists of the Year award in 2014 to acknowledge the professionalism of Afghan journalists and encourage them to adhere to international journalism standards in their coverage of events in Afghanistan.