Mahir Šahinović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), reporter at the Center for Investigative Reporting in Sarajevo (CIN) and at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), has been awarded for his commitment in investigative journalism undertaken with great efforts in terms of investigation and research of sources. He has worked in different countries and various languages, often under difficult conditions. One of the recent and remarkable works he has carried out is linked to an international stock exchange scam. Šahinović managed to find out that the two Bosnian and Serbian owners of a Switzerland-based company had set up a network of illegal call centres that traded in shares on the German stock exchange. He carried out a thorough investigative research consulting many documents, and managed to identify and interview some of the victims of this fraud. Many newspapers and TV stations in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the Balkan countries picked up his story.
Young professional journalist category
Rosen Tsvetkov (Bulgaria) is a journalist at the Bulgarian National Television. Recently, he has conducted successful investigations and undercover reportings that have had a major impact on Bulgarian society. His work has provoked public debates and political reactions on the importance of democratic values and civil society rights. Tsvetkov is the author of various investigative documentaries about sensitive topics such as illegal vote buying, missing people, children trafficking and youth violence.
Special mention:
Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI) – to acknowledge the role and importance of this newly established centre promoting investigative reporting carried out by Italian journalists mostly cooperating with world-wide investigative networks.