Peter Greste wins 2015 Human Rights Medal
The Australian journalist-turned-freedom of speech campaigner spent 400 days in an Egyptian jail accused of collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood and reporting news that was damaging to national security.
He was imprisoned alongside his colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed and released in February 2015.
Fahmy and Mohamed were finally freed in September 2015.
Greste was honoured at the Human Rights Commission's annual awards in Sydney on Thursday for "selflessly and tirelessly" campaigning for the release of his colleagues and wider press freedom, reported The Huffington Post.
— Peter Greste (@PeterGreste) December 10, 2015
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"It means an enormous amount. It is everything," Greste told The Huffington Post Australia.
"I have always felt that this isn't about anything I have done, so much as what we came to represent, which is about freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
"From that perspective alone this is a hugely important award," he added.
Greste was up against other human rights advocates, Maha Abdo, Rodney Croome, Professor Pat Dudgeon and Adam Goodes.
#HRA2015 https://t.co/s4Cp2qaxNi pic.twitter.com/HcV0KI0PZj — AusHumanRights (@AusHumanRights) December 10, 2015 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post
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Congratulations, Peter, from all of us at al-Araby al-Jadeed.