Sudanese war reporter and wrongly imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist win Free Press Awards 2025
Free Press Unlimited proudly announces the winners of the Free Press Awards 2025: AlMigdad Hassan (Sudan), winner of the Newcomer of the Year – Hans Verploeg Award, and Ulviyya Guliyeva (Azerbaijan), winner of the Most Resilient Journalist Award.
From all nominations, the jury selected journalists whose work stood out for its impact, courage, quality, and perseverance. While every nominated journalist showed remarkable dedication to independent journalism, these two winners exemplify what the Free Press Awards seek to honour: journalists who continue to serve the public interest under immense pressure.
Most Resilient Journalist: Ulviyya Guliyeva
The Most Resilient Journalist Award 2025 is awarded to Ulviyya Guliyeva, an Azerbaijani journalist who has continued her work under extreme repression and personal risk. At the time of receiving this award, Ulviyya has been unjustly detained for months at the Baku Detention Center, yet she persists in reporting from inside prison without medical care, documenting human rights violations, interviewing fellow political prisoners, and ensuring that the truth does not fall silent.
The jury recognises Ulviyya’s extraordinary personal and professional courage, her unwavering commitment to journalism despite physical violence, detention, and the loss of her formal platform, and the significant societal impact of her work. Even behind bars, Ulviyya continues to inform, to resist, and to inspire.
In a letter written from detention, Ulviyya reflected on receiving the award:
“The award I received while in prison has moved me even more deeply. For someone in captivity, this is a tremendous source of motivation.”
Read more about Ulviyya’s work
Over the years, Ulviyya Guliyeva has produced more than 500 reports and articles for Voice of America, covering a wide range of human rights issues in Azerbaijan, from political repression to the struggles of marginalized communities. Her fearless reporting has brought stories that might otherwise go unheard to a global audience. Explore her articles
In addition to written journalism, Ulviyya has directed several impactful documentaries that shed light on social issues and everyday struggles in Azerbaijan:
- “Strangers”, focusing on the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
- “How young people in Azerbaijan see themselves and how they see their peers in other countries”, examining the perspectives of Azerbaijani youth and their views on governmental institutions.
- “Women at Work: I’m Making My Mark on Success!”, highlighting the difficulties faced by women in the workplace.
- “The ‘Slave Market’ in Baku: One Jobless Man’s Heartbreaking Story”, documenting the struggles of an elderly man facing poverty and social exclusion.
These works demonstrate Ulviyya’s dedication to telling difficult, under-reported stories with empathy, courage, and a commitment to human rights, an approach that has earned her the Most Resilient Journalist Award 2025.
Newcomer of the Year – Hans Verploeg: Almigdad Hassan
Almigdad Hassan is one of the very few Sudanese journalists who stayed in Khartoum when war broke out in 2023. Working almost entirely with his iPhone, he provided raw frontline reporting from bombed buildings and active combat zones, becoming a crucial source for multiple Arab media outlets. His images and reports brought to light a conflict that might otherwise have remained invisible, reaching millions of viewers worldwide.
Almigdad’s dedication, courage, and ability to deliver compelling, accurate reporting under extreme conditions earned him the Newcomer of the Year – Hans Verploeg Award 2025. On his win he says:
“This award belongs first to Sudan — to its people enduring unimaginable suffering yet refusing to lose their humanity. My journey from pharmacy to journalism during war is a gift from God, strengthened by my family’s unwavering support, friends, colleagues, and Al Arabiya Network, especially my colleagues in the Sudan bureau. I’m deeply grateful to Free Press Unlimited for this recognition and to those who nominated me.”
Read more about AlMigdad’s work:
Honouring all nominees
The jury wishes to emphasise that every nominated journalist is worthy of recognition. The nominees represent the courage, persistence, and integrity required to practise journalism in increasingly hostile environments worldwide. The winners were selected not because others fell short, but because their stories and impact stood out in an already exceptional field.
The Free Press Awards 2025 were presented during Free Press Live on February 3rd in Nieuwspoort in The Hague, an annual event dedicated to press freedom, independent journalism, and the global fight for access to truthful information.
