Mostafa Al-A'sar
Mostafa Al-A'sar is an academic intern for The Globe and Mail. He is an award-winning exiled journalist, researcher, and human rights defender with more than 15 years of experience investigating press freedom, political repression, and risks facing journalists. He is a former political prisoner who spent nearly four years behind bars in Egypt.
Mostafa is also the founder and CEO of REDWORD, a non-profit focused on defending freedom of expression. He has extensive experience documenting violations, working with at-risk communities, and collaborating with international advocacy networks.
Mostafa is trained in trauma-sensitive journalism, digital security, and hostile environment safety. He has published hundreds of stories, investigations, and research, and has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Walrus, New Lines Magazine, Al-Jazeera, and Time, among others.
Years in Journalism
Education
Master of Journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (currently completing)
B.A. in Communication Arts, with a major in Broadcasting and a minor in Journalism, Egypt, 2013
Honours & Awards
Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)/The Walrus Contributing Writer Fellowship, 2025
The William Southam Journalism Fellowship at the university of Toronto, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)/Massey College Fellow, 2024/25
Finalist of Samir Kassir Press Freedom Award, 2024
Honorary Award for Efforts in Social Filmmaking, Activists Without Borders Film Festival in UK (AWBFF), 2024
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, a Non-Resident Researcher Fellow, 2023/24
Professional affliations
The Canadian Freelance Union (CFU); The Canadian Journalists Association (CAJ); PEN Canada; Writers in Exile group; Human Rights Defender registered with Front Line Defenders (FLD)
Languages spoken
English, Arabic