Press freedom prize awarded to Egyptian revolutionary

Ahram Online, Thursday 5 May 2011

Wael Ghonim, the Egyptian Google exec who initiated the call for demonstrations through social media, wins freedom prize from Reporters Without Borders

Ghonim
Google Inc executive Wael Ghonim addresses a mass crowd inside Tahrir Square in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)

Egyptian revolutionary, Wael Ghonim, will receive the press freedom prize from the Swedish section of Reporters Without Borders, according to the Swedish embassy in Cairo.

According to a statement released today by the embassy, Ghonim will receive the annual prize because “his courageous use of social medias, such as Facebook and Twitter, is an important source of inspiration for the Egyptian movement for democracy.”

Ghonim, who is Google’s market executive in the MENA region, was one of the masterminds behind the revolution, using Facebook to set 25 January, 2011 as the day to launch demonstrations. This attracted millions of Egyptians and culminated in the ouster of Egypt’s president Mubarak, who stepped down on 11 February after 30 years in power.

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