Razmi, whose picture of
a 1979 firing squad in Iran was published anonymously around the world, will be
invited to receive his award at the May 21 luncheon at Columbia University next
year when the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winners will be honored.
Razmi's
identity was revealed, with his consent, in a Wall Street Journal article by
Joshua Prager on Dec. 2. Other pictures of the execution taken by Razmi were
also published by the newspaper.
A Pulitzer Board
committee, after its review of the Prager story and the photographic evidence
and its further investigation of the matter, concluded that Razmi was clearly
the photographer.
"When we made an anonymous award for the first time in
our history, we had hoped that the name would emerge," said Sig Gissler,
administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes. "We are very pleased that, after 26 years,
we can close the gap and honor a worthy recipient for an iconic
image."
Razmi will receive a certificate of award and a cash prize of
$10,000, which is the current value of the award.
When the photograph was
first published in August of 1979 in an Iranian newspaper, the editor withheld
Razmi's identity because he was concerned for the photographer's safety, the
Wall Street Journal story reported.
The picture, with the photographer
unnamed, was subsequently circulated by United Press International.
The
2007 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced on April 16. Columbia administers the
prizes after their determination by the Pulitzer Board.
