The Natali Grand Prize is awarded to Chinese journalist Yee Chong LEE for his report on the Sichuan earthquake

The award ceremony of the Lorenzo Natali Prizes for Journalism took place today during the 2009 European Development Days. An independent jury of eight representatives of the world of journalism chose the fifteen award-winners from over 1000 candidates from all over the world. Twelve regional prizes, a Special Prize for Radio, a Special Prize for Television and the Grand Prize were awarded. The Natali Grand Prize went to Yee Chong Lee, a journalist for Now TV, for his report "Sichuan earthquake, one year on". This young journalist from Hong Kong spent a month on the scene of the catastrophe talking to the inhabitants to find out the reasons behind the disaster and how reconstruction is progressing.

Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Karel De Gucht said:

"Freedom of expression is a fundamental right. By taking on the role of witnesses to our times, journalists have chosen to show the living conditions of our fellow men, to report the events which shake the world and to denounce injustice and expose scandals: all this contributes to promoting democracy, development and freedoms. The Natali Prize is an opportunity to recognise the men and women who attempt to improve the world we live in by opening our eyes to today's realities, sometimes by putting their own lives in peril. Congratulations to all the prize-winners and in particular to 2009 Natali Grand Prize winner, Yee Chong Lee, who has shown that following a story long after it was in the headlines is necessary. I also particularly wish to thank the members of the 2009 Jury and its President, Barbara Serra, journalist for Al Jazeera."

The topics covered by the other prize-winners' reports included:

the persecution of albinos in Sub-Saharan Africa ;

militias in the favelas;

the black market in corpses in China;

war rape in DRC;

children accused of witchcraft in DRC;

incarceration conditions in Zimbabwe.

Background

The Lorenzo Natali Prize was created in 1992 and is open to the whole world and all media.

This Prize is an integral part of the European Commission's development policy, which considers the protection of fundamental freedoms, freedom of expression, democracy and human rights as essential.

To organise the Lorenzo Natali Prize, the European Commission worked with some of the most renowned world press associations, such as Reporters Without Borders, winner of the 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, which represents over 18 000 publications in all five continents.