Gauri Lankesh honoured with Anna Politkovskaya Award posthumously

Journalist Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru has been honored with the Annual Anna Politkovskaya Award, posthumously.

A month after she was assassinated in cold blood, Gauri Lankesh's family told the media that she had been recognized for her dedication to peace and human rights.
Gauri Lankesh shares this year's award with Pakistani activist Gulalai Ismail who, the nominations committee for the award said, is fighting against Islamic extremism in her country. "This award doesn't belong to our family but to everyone who stood by Gauri's struggle," said Kavitha Lankesh, the murdered journalist's sister.

"We are very honoured to award our annual Anna Politkovskaya Award for women human rights defenders from war and conflict zones jointly to Gauri Lankesh, posthumously and to a brave Pakistani activist, Gulalai Ismail, who similarly to Gauri, is fighting against the Islamic extremism in her country, Pakistan," said a note from the nominations committee of the award.

Gauri's mother and brother were also part of the press conference on Thursday. Incidentally, today is exactly a month after Gauri was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru. The Anna Politkovskaya Award was established to remember and honor journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was murdered in Moscow. She was 48 years old when she was killed on 7 October 2006 over her reportage of the second war in Chechnya.