Along with three other international journalists, Youssef is being honored in “recognition of the [his] courageous reporting that defines free media,” said the Committee to Protect Journalists website.
Gamal Eid, the executive director of the Cairo-based human rights group, Arab Network for Human Rights Information, was among those who nominated Youssef for the award.
“I nominated Bassem Youssef for the 2013 International Press Freedom award because he has been a leading advocate of freedom of expression here in Egypt,” Eid said to The Cairo Post.
Youssef came under fire for his provocative satire under both the recently ousted Mohamed Morsi regime and the current military-backed interim government.
Under the Morsi regime, Youssef faced criminal charges for “insulting the president,” “insulting Islam,” and “reporting false news,” said the CPJ website.
Most recently, in November 2013, Youssef’s satirical news program, El Bernameg (“The Program” in Arabic), was taken off the air by the channel, CBC, after Youssef took aim at the military-backed regime.
“Religious and military governments fear freedom of speech,” said Eid. “That is why Morsi’s government and the current regime targeted Bassem,” he added.
Janet Hinostroza of Ecuador, Nedim Sener of Turkey, and Nguyen Van Hai of Vietnam will also be receiving International Press Freedom Awards today in New York.