Two Russian journalists, Mikhail Beketov and Olga Bobrova won awards on Friday from the Austrian branch of the Reporters Without Borders organization.
The ceremony was held at the European Council in Vienna on Friday.
Beketov, the editor-in-chief of the Khimkinskaya Pravda newspaper, an active opponent of the construction of a highway through the Khimki forest and the critic of the local administration, was severely beaten by unknown attackers in November, 2008.
The journalist sustained critical brain injuries and broken limbs which made it impossible for him to resume his professional activities.
Olga Bobrova has been working for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper since 2002. She went on her first business trip to North Caucasus to cover the school hostage crisis in Beslan in September 2004.
After that, the North Caucasus became one of the key subjects of her articles. Bobrova followed in the footsteps of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was killed four years ago.
Bobrova's winning article covered the problems of lawlessness and corruption in Ingushetia.
The jury chose the winners from among 35 articles from 10 Russian regions. The jury consisted of representatives from the OSCE, OECD and UNESCO.
"The special courage of the journalist's investigation, the democratic values of the article and also the personal fate of Mikhail Beketov were decisive for the jury in making its choice," said Rubina Mering, the head of the Austrian branch of the organization.
The Austrian branch of Reporters Without Borders has been granting Press freedom Award since 2002. Previous award winners have included journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, , Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
VIENNA, December 10 (RIA Novosti)
