Lebanese journalist Christina Assi has received the 2026 International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in recognition of her courage and commitment to press freedom and journalist safety despite the injuries she sustained while covering the war in southern Lebanon.
On October 13, 2023, Israel struck a group of journalists reporting near the border town of Alma al-Shaab, killing Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah and injuring several others. Assi lost her right leg in the attack.
Through her resilience and continued work, Christina has shown that targeting journalists will not silence them. Today, this award proves that those who tried to stop her voice only helped it reach the world
