Independent media in Georgia and Cuba receive Swedish human rights award – “two news outlets that refuse to be silenced”

“For their exceptional resilience and courage in defence of freedom of expression, free and independent journalism, and democracy, Netgazeti and La Hora de Cuba are awarded the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2026,” Civil Rights Defenders’ Board writes in its motivation for the award. (The full motivation appears below.) 

The award will be presented at a ceremony in Stockholm on 18 May 2026. 

Cuba: one of the world’s most closed media landscapes

La Hora de Cuba operates in one of the world’s most closed media environments, where independent journalism is, in practice, criminalised. They document arbitrary detentions, political trials, and how repression permeates people’s everyday lives, stories state media do not tell. 

La Hora de Cuba’s editor, Henry Constantin, and his colleagues have for a long time been subjected to harassment and multiple periods of detention. According to Henry Constantin, being a journalist in Cuba means surviving in a system that demands conformity, deception, and the portrayal of the authorities’ version of reality instead of the people’s. 

“This is not a job in the true sense of the word, but rather a survival exercise,” says Henry Constantin, editor of La Hora de Cuba. 

“For La Hora de Cuba, this award means a boost in visibility and a boost in responsibility. People as far away as Sweden, who work with activists and journalists in difficult situations around the world, believe that we at La Hora de Cuba deserve it. That means we must take our work even more seriously,” says Henry Constantin, editor of La Hora de Cuba. 

Georgia: press freedom under increasing pressure 

Netgazeti is one of the country’s leading and most influential independent news outlets. They report on corruption, abuses of power and human rights violations, even as the cost for its journalists continues to rise. 

A central symbol of how press freedom is under threat in the country is that Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder and director of Netgazeti, has been imprisoned. The case has been described by the EU Delegation and embassies in the country, among others, as political and linked to the increased pressure on independent media. 

“The main thing the outside world has not understood is how quickly Georgia became a dictatorship, and how quickly we ended up with legislation even harsher than in Russia. Even we ourselves did not quite manage to take in that it was happening, or inform the world fast enough,” says Nestan Testskhladze, Editor-in-Chief of Netgazeti. 

“Awards mean a great deal to us journalists. In these kinds of situations you can sometimes start to doubt whether it is worth continuing, whether you should stop. But this kind of solidarity and support reminds us that what we do matters, and that our work means a lot to people,” says Nestan Testskhladze, Editor-in-Chief of Netgazeti. 

Heavy pressure on independent media 

Globally, we see media censorship remain a first-choice tool as countries become more authoritarian. In the V-Dem Democracy Report 2026, media censorship is described as the most common tactic among autocratising governments (32 of 44; 73%). 

The consequences are brutal. In 2025, 67 journalists were killed because of their work, 503 were imprisoned, and 135 remain missing in 37 countries, according to a report from Reporters Without Borders. 

Full motivation for the award 

“Independent media are often the first target of autocratising governments. Yet the Georgian outlet Netgazeti and the Cuban outlet La Hora de Cuba have refused to be silenced. Despite intimidation, imprisonment, and repression, both media outlets continue their work with integrity and determination. Through courageous reporting, they expose abuses of power, document human rights violations, and safeguard access to independent information essential for democratic accountability.  

For their exceptional resilience and courage in defence of freedom of expression, free and independent journalism, and democracy, Netgazeti and La Hora de Cuba are awarded the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2026.” 

Read more 

“Two news outlets that refuse to be silenced” – article about the award recipients: [link to article]  

About the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 

The award has been presented annually since 2013 by the human rights organisation Civil Rights Defenders. The distinction recognises outstanding human rights defenders. Its purpose is to support and strengthen activists who, through peaceful means, continue to demand accountability from those in power despite significant risks to their own safety. 

Contact 

For more information or to book an interview with the award recipients or Civil Rights Defenders, please contact our press office at press@crd.org or +46 (0)76 576 27 62.