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Ceremony of awarding prestigious Gerd Bucerius Prize "Free Press of Eastern Europe" over 2012 year took place in Oslo on Thursday. Among the winners of the prize is a group of journalists from the countries of the former Soviet Union, including two representatives of Azerbaijan - the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) Mehman Huseynov and employee of the Azerbaijani service of "Radio Liberty", Takhmina Tagizadeh, the Azerbaijani news agency Turan reports.

As the jury noted, they won the award for the selfless coverage of serious problems as corruption and human rights violations in Azerbaijan.

Huseynov could not attend the ceremony due to the ban of the authorities to leave the country because of the criminal case against him, which, according to human rights activists, was fabricated, and is politically motivated. Instead Huseynov, the prize was awarded to his mother, Firangiz Huseynova.

Norway's State Secretary Gry Larsen welcomed the journalist's mother, criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for not permitting Huseynov to take part in the award ceremony.

Gerd Bucerius Prize was established by the German Foundation «ZEIT» and the Norwegian Foundation for «Fritt Ord»; it is annually awarded to journalists and the media for independent reporting, freedom of expression and the media.

On June 17 on its way to receive the award in Oslo Huseinov was detained in Baku airport and was taken to the police.
Azerbaijani security forces justified their actions by saying that criminal proceedings had begun against the journalist.

Huseynov was accused of insulting and using force against the soldier of Special Forces of Azerbaijani Interior Ministry during the shooting of the video footage on protest on May 21, in 2012 at Fountain Square in Baku. The journalist expressed his outrage about the fact that the police officer broke his video camera when he was filming scenes of violence against women protesters.

In this regard, "The Committee to Protect Journalists," condemned the Azerbaijani authorities for using a travel ban on journalist M. Huseynov, and noted that by this step the Azerbaijani authorities have only confirmed the validity of reports of human rights abuses and repression in their country.