In Vienna, the International Press Institute has posthumously awarded Palestinian journalist Maryam Abu Daqqa the 2025 Press Freedom Hero Award, celebrating her remarkable courage and commitment to truth amid Gaza’s ongoing devastation. Her recognition stands as a tribute not only to her individual bravery but to the collective resilience of journalists who continue to risk their lives documenting the realities of a genocidal war that has silenced so many voices.

Abu Daqqa’s work was marked by integrity and empathy. She chronicled the daily suffering and perseverance of families under siege, often reporting from the heart of destruction. Colleagues recall her determination to ensure that Gaza’s pain and endurance were seen and remembered beyond its borders, even as danger surrounded her. Her final reports reflected a haunting combination of humanity and defiance, the belief that truth remains a form of resistance.

At the ceremony in Vienna, her award served as both honour and indictment: recognition of courage where the world has failed to protect those who bear witness. The memory of Maryam Abu Daqqa now lives on as a symbol of journalism’s highest purpose, to confront oppression with truth and to speak for those the world too often chooses not to hear.