Bahraini journalist to receive Syracuse University free speech award

Syracuse, NY A journalist who has kept up her criticism of the government in Bahrain despite having her home attacked by pro-government forces will receive the 2012 Tully Award for Freedom of Speech.

Lamees Dhaif, an independent journalist and human rights activist, will receive the award from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on Oct. 15. The award is given to a journalist who has faced a significant threat to free speech.

The ceremony will be at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. Dhaif will visit classes and meet with students while on campus.

The public event is free. For more information, call Audrey Burian at 443-1930 or aaburian@syr.edu.

Dhaif has worked for several newspapers in Bahrain, including Akhbar Al-Khaleej, Sadaa Al Isboua, Al-Qabas, Al-Afaaq and Al-Waqt.

Following widespread government censorship in response to anti-government protests in the nations capital Manama, Dhaif covered the events of the Arab Spring in Bahrain via Twitter, Facebook and her blog. She writes a weekly column for the Saudi newspaper Alyaum, and presents a television program on the Kuwaiti television station Al-Rai.

When she wrote a series uncovering allegations of bias against women in Bahrains family courts, a legal complaint was brought against her for insulting the judiciary. The case was dropped, but the government indicated it could revive the charges at anytime.

She was called into court again for criticizing the regime following large-scale anti-government protests in the spring of 2011.

Those charges were also dropped, but pro-government forces with Molotov cocktails attacked her home.

Dhaif has received several awards for her reporting, including a 2008 Excellence Award in Journalism form the Regional Conference on Women. She has also been honored by the Womens Union at the 2009 International Womens Day.

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Bahraini journalist to receive Syracuse University free speech award