Anisa Shaheed, a former TOLOnews reporter, was recognized by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) as the winner of Knight International Journalism Award.

Shaheed has been working as a journalist for more than a decade, during which time she has made a variety of reports on major events, including bombings and the Covid-19 outbreak in Afghanistan.

“I get the award in this situation where I am in pain instead of being happy. It was a pleasure for me to receive the award when I was with my colleagues, there was freedom of expression, there were no restrictions on the media, women could perform their work without a face mask, and reporters could do their job freely. I call on the media-supporting institutions to take action to support freedom and the media in Afghanistan,” said Anisa Shaheed.

ICFJ has presented this award to Anisa Shaheed for covering important stories at great personal risk.

“In a situation where women work with despair, the award for Anisa Shaheed, one of our best journalists, who was going hospital to hospital in a difficult situation to make reports and inform the people and prevent the spread of COVID-19, she risked herself in order to inform the people. It is good news for the Afghanistan media community,” said Hujjatullah Mujaddidi, a leading member of the Federation of Journalists and Media Institutions.

Shaheed is the second person from Afghanistan to win this award. Previously, Sami Mahdi, one of the presenters of political programs in Afghanistan, won this award.

Anisa Shaheed is a journalist who has previously won a variety of awards, including the Freedom of Expression Award.

“Winning the Annual Knight Award or Brave International Reporter by Anisa Shahid is a great achievement, especially for the media in Afghanistan and the women journalists who now work and hold the flag of freedom of expression in Afghanistan,” said Beheshta Shahin, a reporter.

“Shaheed’s achievement of winning the award of the Center for International Journalists is a commendable act and we praise this and wish her more success. Ms. Shaheed has been one of the most capable cadres in the journalistic community for decades, and in difficult situations, even for journalists, she was officially present in the same areas and reporting,” Sahil Andishour, a reporter.

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