Libya fixers Sulman Ali Zway and Osama Alfitory are recipients of the 2011 Martin Adler Prize.

A non-competitive honour, given at the discretion of the Rory Peck Trust, the Martin Adler Prize recognises the dedication and bravery of local freelancers who have played a significant role in the reporting of a major news story.  The prize is sponsored by Atex.

Image copyright: Nicole Tung

Known by international journalists as the "A Team", Suliman Ali Zway and Osama Alfitory, found themselves in every corner of the country during Libya's revolution, helping journalists deliver accurate and ground breaking news.  

Both had made comfortable livings working in the construction business but in early February, when many young people in eastern Libya were volunteering to help visiting journalists, the two men joined the wave.  Suliman worked briefly with an Italian television crew, and for reporters working for the Washington Post.  Osama first worked with a New York Times Magazine reporter. 

Weeks later, after many of the young Libyan volunteers had gone back to their lives, Osama and Suliman continued to assist international journalists, travelling to the front lines with Jon Lee Anderson of the New Yorker and Leila Fadel of the Washington Post, helping them uncover stories.

Separately, they worked - often voluntarily - with many of the world's biggest international news organizations, including the BBC, the New York Times, PBS and CBS.  Working together they helped to probe allegations of a death squad in Benghazi and reveal the psychological toll of the war, among other stories.

Osama and Suliman's dedication and insight about Libya were so coveted by international journalists that they earned the nickname the "A-Team".  Both are now journalists in their own right and have penned articles on difficult subjects for a new Libyan magazine, 'The Libyan'.

Many of the world's leading journalists have paid tribute to Osama and Suliman. Leila Fadel, a Washington Post reporter, said:  “Suliman introduced me to his family and taught me about life in Benghazi.  He tirelessly tried to help me understand what was happening in Misurata through phone interviews when we couldn’t get there.”  She added:  “Both did it because they cared about their country and wanted the stories, good or bad, to reach the world.” 

"We are delighted to be presenting Suliman Ali Zway and Osama Alfitory with this year's Martin Adler Prize", said Tira Shubart, Trustee of the Rory Peck Trust.  "They have showed enormous skill, determination and courage helping international journalists cover events in Libya, earning widespread respect and admiration from all who have worked with them. Their contribution to newsgathering, and to journalism, has been hugely significant - they absolutely sum up the spirit of the Martin Adler Prize".