Salma Niazi, an Afghan journalist who founded the Afghan Times after the Taliban returned to power, has won the 2025 One Young World Lyra McKee Award for Bravery for her reporting on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Niazi said the award was important for keeping Lyra McKee's name known internationally and for reminding the world of journalism's role as a voice for the oppressed. "If women are denied education, they are denied their future. Journalists have a responsibility to speak for them," she said, describing her work as speaking for people who "cannot speak" under the restrictions imposed by the Taliban.
The award recognises journalists who continue to seek truth and justice in dangerous or hostile environments. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, women and girls there have faced sweeping curbs on rights and freedoms, including bans on education above certain ages, strict dress codes, limitations on movement without a male chaperone, and prohibitions on interactions with unrelated men.
Niazi established the Afghan Times in 2021 amid the rapid deterioration of civil liberties. She told the One Young World summit that she and many colleagues were "really scared" when the Taliban returned and that some journalists fled to Pakistan for safety. Receiving the award, she said, "motivates me to keep telling stories that need to be heard. Lyra McKee stood for truth and fearlessness, and receiving an award in her name reminds me that journalism can give hope even in the darkest moments."
Nichola Corner, McKee's sister, described the award as a "really fitting tribute" and said it ensured Lyra's achievements in journalism would continue to be recognised. McKee, a Northern Ireland writer and campaigner, was 29 when she was shot during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on April 18, 2019. Her death prompted international outcry and has become a touchstone for conversations about the risks faced by journalists.
Corner said Lyra would have been "humbled, surprised, and delighted" that the award bears her name and hopes it will help future generations remember her work. She also spoke of the lasting toll the killing took on their family. "Every single year, Lyra's name will be out there honouring other journalists, which she would have thought absolutely wonderful," Corner said. She added that their mother died within a year after Lyra's death and that an uncle died shortly after learning of it, saying some consequences of such killings are little understood outside bereaved families.
The Lyra McKee Award for Bravery was first presented in 2023 and recognises journalists who are leading voices for free speech even when working under threat. Past winners have included reporters covering conflict zones and repressive environments. Plestia Alaqad, a Gaza-based journalist, won the award in 2024 and said at the time she had "mixed emotions" about receiving an honour named after a journalist who had been killed. She highlighted the extreme risks faced by media workers in Gaza after the outbreak of war following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Human rights and press freedom groups say reporting in many conflict zones has become increasingly perilous. The Committee to Protect Journalists documented at least 197 journalists and media workers killed since the Gaza war began, including 189 Palestinians killed in Gaza, underscoring the lethal hazards faced by reporters in that conflict.
Organisers of the One Young World summit said the award is intended to spotlight journalists who continue to document abuses and hold power to account despite personal danger. The prize carries symbolic weight for recipients and for families of journalists who have been killed while reporting; its name links contemporary acts of reporting to McKee's legacy.
In accepting the award, Niazi reiterated that denying education and rights to women amounts to denying the country's future. Her reporting continues as she navigates the limits and threats imposed by Afghanistan's de facto authorities, while the Lyra McKee award seeks to ensure international attention on such coverage remains strong.
The recognition of Niazi comes amid ongoing global debates over press freedom, journalist safety and the protection of sources. Advocates say awards that highlight courageous reporting can both provide moral support to journalists working under threat and keep public focus on regions where media access and civil liberties have been severely curtailed.
Organisers and recipients of the Lyra McKee Award have said they hope the prize not only commemorates McKee's life and work but also inspires other journalists to continue reporting in defence of rights and transparency. As Niazi and previous winners demonstrate, that reporting often proceeds in situations where the physical and legal environment for journalists is hostile and where the stakes for citizens' rights are high.
The One Young World summit will continue to highlight laureates and finalists in coming days, organisers said, while partners and press freedom organisations use the platform to call for stronger protections for journalists worldwide.