ARIJ 16th Annual Forum

Winners of ARIJ Awards for Arab Investigative Journalism 2023

Gold Award

Ramadan Younes

My secret journey to expose doctors who exploit patients like me

The investigation reveals cases of fraud carried out by clinics in Russia, the United States and the Middle East. It targets Arab patients, and promotes expensive treatments and medical operations for Retinitis Pigmentosa that are of no benefit, and sometimes cause medical complications that may result in partial loss of vision or complete blindness.

Silver Award

Isis Qassim (pseudonym)

Egypt: Permanent Imprisonment The Series of "Repeated Imprisonment" runs Contrary to Justice

The investigation highlights five cases of prisoners in Egypt, who were rotated from one case to another, without being accused of committing specific incidents, in light of the violation of their rights as defendants. The investigation documents the Public Prosecution’s efforts to achieve a conviction instead of searching for the truth.

Bronze Award

Jihan Nasri

Farmers in Kasserine, Tunisia, and Sergaz… Rental Agreement Wasting Rights and Resources

The investigation reveals the failure of the “Sergaz” company, representing the Italian company Eni, to respond to the demands of farmers to increase the rent for the land through which the gas pipeline crosses Tunisian territories. Additionally, it highlights the company’s failure to fulfil its promises regarding some development projects in the Kasserine region, as part of its social responsibility.

Bronze Award

Hamza Hamky

"Stolen properties.. How do influential people seize the properties of expatriates in Qamishli?"

The investigation focuses on the forgery of dozens of selling contracts in Syria, and the seizure of property worth millions of dollars in the Syrian Qamishli region.

Special Mention for Cross Border Investigations

A group of journalists

'Working in fear: Some private contractors are accused of abusive labor practices on U.S. military bases

The investigation reveals violations against migrant workers in U.S. military bases in Gulf countries, which the Pentagon knew about, turned a blind eye to, and renewed contracts with the violating companies.

Special Mention

Ayat khairy

Egyptian hospitals refuse to perform surgeries on women without their husbands’ consent

This investigation reveals that private and government hospitals in Cairo refuse to perform surgeries on women without the written consent of their husbands. This puts their lives in danger, and is inconsistent with the Egyptian Constitution, which criminalizes discrimination. It is also inconsistent with international conventions to protect women’s rights, which were signed by the Egyptian government.

Nominated Investigations for the ARIJ Awards for Arab Investigative Journalism 2023

Nominated Investigation

Barbra Yousef Labib

Child Labor at Egypt Quarries Abuses Their Basic Rights

The investigation reveals child labor in quarries in Egypt, under harsh environmental conditions and a complete absence of laws, and documents cases of death, amputation, and exploitation that children suffer in quarries managed legally and illegally.

Nominated Investigation

Jamal Jawhar

How do “international networks” bring African children to be trafficked and smuggled to Europe?

The investigation monitors how brokers bring children from African and Arab countries to Libya, hoping to smuggle them to Europe, introduce them into the organ trade market, prostitution, begging, and forced labor, and sell them to others as well. How minors turned into a commodity and a wide field for investment by international networks.

Nominated Investigation

Said Elmrabet

Cultivating thirst.. This is how the “watermelon cartel” in the Tata region invested in the thirst of the residents and killed the oasis TV version link

The investigation reveals the existence of a “cartel” consisting of a group of people with mutual interests, who are plundering the Communal land, in order to grow red watermelon in Morocco. This led to the drying up of water sources, and caused damage to the water bed in an area famous for its oases and sustainable irrigation system for centuries.

Nominated Investigation

Ahmad Asar

Victims of commercial diving in Egypt TV version link

The investigation reveals the suffering of hundreds of commercial divers in Egypt, due to the failure of the marine engineering companies, for which they work to comply with, security and safety requirements and instructions, which exposes these divers to the risks of injury, disability, and sometimes death.

About ARIJ Annual Awards

The year 2023 marks the ARIJ 14th annual awards, which honours Arab journalists who took on scathing criticism, faced reluctant sources, and risked retaliation, to bring to light corruption and injustice in their societies.

The ARIJ Awards acknowledge the integrity and professionalism of these journalists; setting benchmarks for future generations to model.

ARIJ honours unfettered truth-telling. Ten Finalists will reach the top and compete to be one of three winners to be announced on December 3, 2023, ARIJ annual forum closing ceremony, in front of the award-winning journalists and distinguished leaders in the field. The awards are open to all Arab journalists.

Submissions must be in Arabic and produced and/or written by an Arab Journalist. Entries are judged on their content, creativity, and impact.