Kholoud Helmi

Kholoud Helmi is a journalist, gender and media expert, and co-founder and board member of Enab Baladi, one of Syria’s leading independent newspapers since 2011. She has dedicated her career to defending freedom of expression, empowering women in peacebuilding, and amplifying alternative narratives against authoritarianism. Kholoud witnessed firsthand the Assad regime’s violent crackdown on peaceful protests in Darayya, where her brother was detained in 2012 for helping displaced families—a pivotal moment that strengthened her commitment to documentation and justice. She has received multiple international awards, including the Anna Politkovskaya Award (2015) and the Courage Under Fire Award from the International Documentary Association (2017) for her role in the film Cries from Syria. Kholoud holds a Master’s degree in Media and Development from SOAS, University of London, and is a Chevening Scholar. As a member of the Families for Freedom movement, she leads strategic advocacy campaigns calling for the release of Syria’s detainees and the disappeared.