On the 90th anniversary of Albert Londres' death, the jury deliberated in the Latvian capital, "wishing to pay tribute to all the journalists who work to report on the war launched by Russia against Ukraine".

The "singular pen" of Margaux Benn, a great reporter for the "Foreign" service of Le Figaro, already pre-selected twice, was rewarded this year.

The jury "today salutes his style, his enviable writing, a tenderness in the gaze fixed on those who are at the front, unexpected angles and a permanent renewal of his art of storytelling", he declares in a press release.

Having worked for Agence France-Presse, the New York Times, France 24 and the BBC, among others, the 34-year-old journalist is seasoned in conflict zones, such as in Sudan where she began her journalistic career more than ten years ago. year.

"It all started with a desire for the field", explains to AFP Margaux Benn, when in 2018, she left "without a net" to settle as a freelancer in Afghanistan and began working immediately for Le Figaro then for other media.

After four years spent there, the journalist, who was also awarded the Bayeux Prize for radio war correspondents last year, has been covering the war in Ukraine since March.

She discovers there "the incredible spirit of resistance of the Ukrainians" in "a kind of general camaraderie".

Journalist Margaux Benn receives the Bayeux Prize for radio war correspondents, October 9, 2021 in Bayeux Sameer Al-DOUMY AFP / Archives

Despite the hardships, "civil society was not at all disorganized or messy, it worked and was productive, that amazed me", develops the journalist, who is preparing to return to Ukraine, after three stays of a month each time.

"Wagner" and Orpea

The 38th Audiovisual Prize went to Alexandra Jousset and Ksenia Bolchakova for the 80-minute documentary "Wagner, Poutine's shadow army", produced by Capa with France Télévisions and broadcast for the first time at the end of February a few days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The documentarians "were the first to document the actions of this army", made up of mercenaries financed by a close friend of Putin, "helping to make us understand the stakes of the geopolitics of the Kremlin", greets the jury.

It "rewards a thorough and relentless investigation" carried out "on land where the price of life is not worth much".

"For a long time we wanted to make this film because we felt everything that was happening", that the subject "Wagner" rose, "Ksenia saw him in Russia and I in Africa", detailed to AFP Alexandra Jousset.

"Now it's amazing to see that all the information obtained a year ago is coming true," the journalists noted.

The 6th Book Prize was awarded to Victor Castanet for "Les fossoyeurs", the investigative book published in January which imploded Orpea, a behemoth in the private retirement home sector.

The book-investigation Les Fossoyeurs by journalist Victor Castanet, February 1, 2022 in Paris Bertrand GUAY AFP / Archives

They denounced in detail the mistreatment of residents, shortcomings in the management of personnel and the misuse of public funds.

Since then, Orpea has been under investigation for institutional abuse and financial offences.

"The jury could not miss such a punch on these traffickers of death," he said.

"If I did this work for so long", four years of work, "it's because I wanted to produce something relentless that generates an electric shock", explained Victor Castanet to AFP.

“It is both impressive and gratifying to see that information can change things or at least have an impact,” he concluded.

An Honor Prize was also awarded to Andriy Tsaplienko and Sevğil Musaieva, two journalists from the online media "Ukrainska Pravda", in order "to show unfailing solidarity to Ukrainian journalists".

Created in 1933 in homage to the French journalist Albert Londres (1884-1932), father of great modern reporting, the prize is endowed with 3,000 euros for each of the winners, who must be under 41 years old.

© 2022 AFP