Roman Anin, an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and Novaya Gazeta reporter, received the Knight International Journalism Award last night at a ceremony in Washington D.C.

The Knight International Journalism Award is presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and recognizes “media professionals who demonstrate a passionate commitment to excellent reporting that makes a difference in the lives of people around the world.”

The ICFJ honored Anin for his work in probing cases of crime and cronyism in Russia, the repercussions of which have led to further investigations by other countries and the European Union. In particular, Anin was recognized for uncovering how almost US$1 billion disappeared from the Russian treasury and ended up in offshore accounts and shell companies linked to Russian officials and their associates.

In his acceptance speech, Anin said that the Knight International Journalism Award also belonged to Sergei Magnitsky, Magnitsky’s friends, and the OCCRP. Anin worked with the OCCRP to uncover what he said was “one of the most insolent crimes committed in Russia in decades,” the jailing and death of Sergei Magnitsky. Magnitsky was a Russian lawyer who was falsely accused of perpetrating the US$230 million tax fraud he actually fought to uncover.

Anin also paid tribute to four fellow journalists who were murdered in the past 10 years for their investigative work for the Russian newspaper, the Novaya Gazeta. In particular, he highlighted the efforts of his assassinated colleague, Anna Politkovskaya.

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