An Egyptian-Canadian journalist behind bars in Cairo is receiving the annual World Press Freedom Award.
The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom has named Mohamed Fahmy, a producer with Al-Jazeera English, as the 16th recipient of the award.
Fahmy was arrested with two colleagues in December and has been in jail ever since.
The three face terrorism-related charges based on the Egyptian authorities' accusations that they provided a platform to the Muslim Brotherhood group of ousted president Mohammed Morsi, which the government has declared a terrorist organization. Al-Jazeera says it employs six other defendants arrested on the same charges.
Fahmy said in a statement smuggled out of prison that the award lifted the morale of the three.
Fahmy is to be recognised today at a luncheon event in Ottawa.
