Dossier: Internet censorship and freedom of expression

Reporters Without Borders has been selected, along with Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, to receive the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award 2009. The prize, totaling 1 million euros ($1.3 million), is to be presented to the honorees by German President Horst Koehler on April 21.

Founded in 1985, Paris-based Reports Without Borders has made it its mission to document and publicize violations of press freedom and to support journalists and media workers in trouble.

"Freedom of expression and free access to information are human rights and serve as the foundation of a functioning democracy," Roland Berger said in a statement. "As long as people are being punished for expressing their opinions or exposing violations of human rights, we must act to protect frreedom of the press."

According to Reporters Without Borders, over 80 percent of the world's population currently has limited or no access to independent reporting. As of April 20 already, 16 journalists have been killed and 221 journalists, media assistants and cyberdissidents imprisoned this year.

As Reporters Without Borders is honored for their work, DW takes a look at press freedom and recent censorship cases.