SIRAJ Shortlisted for the 2026 RSF Press Freedom Awards
SIRAJ – Paris
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has announced that the Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ) has been shortlisted for the 2026 Press Freedom Awards in the “Independence Prize” category, as part of the 34th edition of the internationally recognized awards honoring press freedom and independent journalism worldwide.
The winners will be announced on 1 June 2026 during the 77th World News Media Congress in Marseille, France, attended by journalists and media organizations from around the world.
In its official statement, RSF said that SIRAJ was nominated in recognition of its independent investigative reporting since 2017, focusing on exposing abuses committed by the Assad regime and its allies, including investigations into corruption networks, illicit economies, and the trafficking of Syrian resources.
The finalists in the “Independence Prize” category also include Kyrgyz investigative journalist Leila Saralaeva, Argentine journalist Julia Mengolini, Afghan journalist Maryam Naibkhil, and Bangladesh’s independent newspaper The Daily Star.
The RSF Independence Prize honors journalists and media organizations that have demonstrated resistance to political, financial, or security pressures while maintaining editorial independence in hostile or repressive environments.
SIRAJ’s nomination comes as the unit continues publishing investigative reports related to accountability, transitional justice, violations linked to the former Syrian regime, and transnational corruption and Captagon trafficking networks in addition to activating accountability during the transitional period that Syria is going through.
The Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ) is an independent organization and a leading institution in promoting investigative journalism in Syria. It is a member of both the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Founded in November 2016, SIRAJ works to train Syrian journalists and produce in-depth investigations that expose corruption, human rights violations, and sanctions evasion, both inside Syria and across the diaspora.
