Maggie Michael, Nariman El-Mofty, Maad al-Zikry (on Michael's phone) and Lee Keath (far left) accept a 2019 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting from Columbia University President Lee Bollinger. (Eileen Barroso/Columbia University)
Maggie Michael, Nariman El-Mofty and Maad al-Zikry together were named as 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners in Interational Reporting for detailing the atrocities of the war in Yemen, including theft of food aid, deployment of child soldiers and torture of prisoners. But one member of the team was not seated at the Associated Press table, and did not have the opportunity to walk onstage to collect the prize certificate.
Yemeni journalist al-Zikry was denied a visa to enter the United States to attend the ceremony, despite wide support for his travel.
Al-Zikry told Afrah Nasser's blog:
“As all embassies are shut down in Yemen, I had to travel to the closest country to Yemen and apply for the visa in a U.S. embassy. So, two months ago, I visited Egypt and applied for the visa. My application was supported by so many letters from high-ranked institutions, including the Associated Press Agency. And yet, my application was rejected.”
AP colleauges held phones aloft with al-Zikry conferenced in to the festivities.
On the wire service's Definitive Source blog, AP Executive Editor Sally Buzbee was quoted as saying:
“We were terribly disappointed that Maad did not get a U.S. visa in time to come for yesterday’s Pulitzer ceremony. Maad was a critical part of the team that won the international reporting Pulitzer — his reporting, and his video work in Yemen, were essential.”
Pulitzer Administrator Dana Canedy said, "It was unfortunate and unnecessary for this esteemed journalist to be denied the opportunity to accept his award with his colleagues and other fellow Pulitzer winners. We salute him nonetheless.”