The Queen of Spain Awards Forbidden Stories
Against a global backdrop marked by a steady decline in press freedom, Laurent Richard, founder of Forbidden Stories, received the International Journalism Award from the Spanish newspaper El Mundo yesterday in the “Press Freedom” category.
Par Forbidden Stories
January 9, 2026
The award was presented to him on Thursday, January 8, in Madrid by Queen Letizia Ortiz of Spain, alongside Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, who won the award for “Best Journalistic Work.”
Established more than twenty years ago, the El Mundo International Journalism Awards annually honor individuals committed to freedom of expression, editorial independence, and journalistic ethics. This year, the jury praised Forbidden Stories’ mission, unique in the world, to continue the investigations of journalists who have been threatened, imprisoned, or murdered, so that their work may never be silenced.
In an interview with El Mundo on the occasion of receiving this award, he also warned of the overall deterioration in the conditions under which journalism is practiced: “We are going through one of the worst periods for press freedom, for the safety of journalists, and for access to information. These are dangerous times for journalists, but journalism is more necessary than ever.”
The jury highlighted several international investigations coordinated by Forbidden Stories in recent years, focusing in particular on the use of spyware against journalists and dissidents (Project Pegasus), global disinformation networks, and threats against environmental reporters. It also emphasized the vital role of collaborative journalism in the face of the growing number of attacks on independent media and democratic institutions.
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