AM:11:20:28/11/2025
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Diary Marif has been named the winner of the 2025 Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize, an international award that recognizes individuals who champion and protect writers facing persecution.
The announcement follows a public call for nominations, after which the jury selected Marif for his outstanding commitment to advocating on behalf of Kurdish journalist Sherwan Sherwani and four other Kurdish reporters imprisoned in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
According to the jury, Marif’s efforts have been "indefatigable,” extending far beyond awareness-raising. His initiatives include fundraising to support the families of the jailed journalists and their legal advocates, mobilizing public and international support, providing safe houses for relatives, and leading campaigns urging Canadian government officials, journalists, and writers to intervene on behalf of the detained reporters.
Marif will formally receive the award in Toronto on Friday, November 28, 2025, during the annual PEN Canada Awards Night, where writers and human-rights defenders gather to honour contributions to freedom of expression.
The Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize is considered one of the key recognitions for those working to defend censored or endangered writers worldwide.