Celebrate and Reward Courageous and Ethical Journalism!

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "We are thrilled to welcome Lukpan Akhmedyarov of Uralskaya Nedelya (Kazakhstan) in Washington DC for this year's award ceremony," said Camille Mackler, Project Director for the Peter Mackler Award. Akhmedyarov is the 2012 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake, Jr. will address the event October 12, 2012 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Advance tickets are $25, $10 with student ID, and $35 at the door. Ticket proceeds directly benefit the Peter Mackler Award Fund.

Lukpan Akhmedyarov, 36, is well known for his investigative coverage of corruption and human rights abuses as well as his criticism of the current regime. He has been the target of threats and harassment by the police.

Last April, Akhmedyarov was the victim of a murder attempt outside his apartment building in the city of Uralsk.  Two masked individuals attacked him, hitting him on the back of the head, stabbing him multiple times and shooting him with an air-pistol.  As a result, Akhmedyarov was hospitalized for a month and treated for a head injury, eight stab wounds to the lung, kidneys, and stomach, and gun pellet injuries.

Mr. Blake was appointed Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs in May 2009.  As Assistant Secretary, he oversees U.S. foreign policy with India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.  He previously served as Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives from 2006 to mid-2009 and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission in New Delhi, India from 2003 – 2006.

Akhmedyarov will also address journalism students, faculty and the public at Columbia University's Journalism School. He will also meet with policy analysts and watchdog group representatives during this trip to the United States.

The Peter Mackler award rewards journalists who work courageously and ethically to report the news in countries where independent media is under threat.  The Award is administered jointly by Global Media Forum and the US branch Reporters Without Borders.

SOURCE Reporters Without Borders