KATHMANDU, April 23: Two Nepali journalists, Roshan Sedhai and Samik Kharel, secured second place at the Fetisov Journalism Awards for their investigative piece titled “Nepalis Feel the Human Toll of Qatar’s World Cup.”
The article, which was published in The Diplomat in November 2022, sheds light on the mistreatment and exploitation of laborers involved in constructing stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Journalist Sedhai previously worked with Republica Daily, a sister publication of Nepal Republic Media Limited, as well.
Taking investigative journalism to new heights
The Fetisov Journalism Awards distribute a total of 520,000 Swiss francs annually across four categories: Outstanding Contribution to Peace; Contribution to Civil Rights; Outstanding Investigative Reporting; and Excellence in Environmental Journalism.
In the same category, the top prize was awarded to Anna-Catherine Brigida from the United States for her report on how surveillance technology is used to maintain power and support the drug trade in Honduras. The third prize was given to a Venezuelan journalist team for their series "Torture is the Neighbor." The awards were presented in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday.
Initiated five years ago by billionaire philanthropist and entrepreneur Gleb Fetisov, the Fetisov Journalism Awards are known for offering the largest monetary prizes in the field of journalism, according to the organizers.
Each of the four categories awards three prizes: 100,000 Swiss francs for first place, 20,000 Swiss francs for second place, and 10,000 Swiss francs for third place. This year, the competition received around 400 submissions from 96 different countries.
