World Press Photo disinvites Russian state photographer from award ceremony amid “European tensions”

World Press Photo announced it would no longer invite Mikhail Tereshchenko to its winners program and award ceremony in Amsterdam.

His photo covering protests in Georgia won an award in the Europe section of the competition. However, Georgian photographers expressed anger over the recognition of a photographer from a Russian state-controlled news agency, TASS.

World Press Photo cited “increased tensions on the European continent” and an inability to “facilitate a guest from a state-controlled Russian organisation.”

The organization acknowledged the complex context, noting that Georgia was invaded by Russia in 2008 and remains under political pressure as the protests against the ruling pro-Russian party are ongoing.

They explained that entries are judged anonymously, with jury members unaware of photographers’ identities or employers during the selection process. The awarded project “was selected for its own merits” per their judging criteria.

World Press Photo also distanced itself from Tereshchenko’s use of the phrase “liberation of Mariupol” in a 27 March interview, stating:

“World Press Photo does not agree with the phrase ‘liberation of Mariupol’… to describe the Russian forces occupation of that city.”

The organization characterized Russia’s actions as an invasion and occupation, noting the bombardment “devastated Mariupol and included civilian targets such as a maternity hospital and a theater where people were sheltering.”

World Press Photo committed to improving its rules and procedures for entries from photographers working for state-controlled agencies, consulting photographers from regions like Georgia and Ukraine, and those working under repressive regimes.

Apology for pairing photos of traumatized by war Ukrainian child and wounded Russian-backed soldier

Earlier this month, the organization apologized for pairing a photo of a traumatized by war Ukrainian child with one of a wounded, Russian-backed militant.

They acknowledged “an obvious difference between a child suffering from the effects of war, and the suffering of a soldier from the invading forces.”

World Press Photo emphasized the important context of civilian casualties in Ukraine, with UN data showing more than 12,654 civilian deaths and over 29,392 injuries since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

Lucy Conticello, global jury chair, admitted the presentation error:

“We should not have presented these two photos as a pair as it suggests they should be viewed and understood only in dialogue with one another. Doing so creates an overly simplified and false equivalency.”