Maria Ressa will be permitted to leave the Philippines to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, reports Rappler, the digital publication where she serves as CEO.
She is scheduled to accept the prize in Oslo, Norway on December 10.
Ressa is facing various legal cases over Rappler’s critical coverage of the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. Officials had argued she posed a flight risk if allowed to leave, Reuters reported.
However, the Philippine Court of Appeals granted her request to leave on Friday.
She is currently facing a six-year sentence for a libel conviction as well as various tax evasion charges.
Ressa will accept the award jointly with Russian dissident Dmitry Muratov who has been also praised for his tough coverage of the Russian government amidst worldwide concerns about attacks on free speech.
The Philippine government denies it is attacking Ressa’s rights as a journalist and claims its issues are purely legal.
Ressa is a dual citizen of both the Philippines and the United States.
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