The Greste Award is presented to Kaspars Zālītis, the leader of the “Spouses” movement / Article / LSM.lv

Kaspars Zālītis, a human rights activist and leader of the “Spouses” movement from Latvia, became the recipient of the Pēteris Greste Baltic Freedom of Expression Award, informed Vita Dreijere, a representative of the award jury from Latvia.

Together with Zālīte for the award this year claimed also LTV News Service and Iļģuciems Prison Chaplain, Pastor Rudīte Losāne. The nominee was chosen by a jury chaired by Peter Greste, a well-known Latvian journalist of Latvian origin.

“This year we had to decide between strong candidates, but we are grateful that this time we were able to award the prize to someone who has been actively trying for many years to prove that freedom of speech is not a privilege of the strongest and loudest, but an absolute necessity for all groups,” Dreijere.

From Estonia, the prize was awarded to journalists Katarīna Krjutškova and Koit Brinkman, who won the right to publicly cover an important trial related to organized crime.

Elena Reimerīte and the public television Internet portal LRT.lt received the award from Lithuania this year for a series of programs that reflect the lives of less privileged groups in society. Her program about homosexual fathers from Great Britain earned a particularly strong public reaction.

Named after Peter Greste, the award was presented for the third time this year and aims to honor people and organizations for their special contribution to strengthening freedom of expression.

Journalist Greste came to the forefront of the world’s media attention when he was arrested in Egypt while working for Al Jazeera and spent more than a year in prison in Cairo.

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