Kurt Schork Memorial Awards: Independent Arabia wins prize for investigative reporting in Iraq

Independent Arabia journalist Aya Mansour has won the 2025 Kurt Schork Memorial Award for International Journalism.

The Independent’s sister publication triumphed in the local reporter category, marking the 10th award the platform has received since its launch in 2019. Mansour was recognised for her rigorous and courageous investigative reporting in Iraq, and commended by the judges for work that “vitally shed light on the mechanics of oppression”.

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Among her winning entries was an investigation titled “Humiliation as a Doctrine”, which documented systematic abuse and harsh practices within Iraqi military colleges based on direct testimonies from students. Mansour, who is a published poet and author, also received acclaim for her reporting on Iraq's “indecent content” laws and their impact on freedom of expression.

The Kurt Schork Memorial Awards were established to recognise journalism produced under difficult or dangerous conditions. Named after American Reuters correspondent Kurt Schork who was killed in Sierra Leone in 2000, the awards highlight the vital role of local reporters and freelancers working outside of safe havens.

This latest accolade joins a growing list of honours for Independent Arabia. In the past year alone, the outlet received the World Press Freedom Hero award on behalf of its late Gaza correspondent, Maryam Abu Daqqa, and secured wins at the Saudi Media Forum and the Lina Ben Mhenni Prize for Freedom of Expression.