The Cemal Nebez Award Committee in Berlin announced that the first Cemal Nebez Award would be given to Zara Muhammedi, a Kurdish teacher living in Sine (Sanandaj), Rojhılat, to defend the fundamental rights of the Kurdish language.

The Cemal Nebez Award Committee consisted of 7 Kurds living in four parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora.

Zara Muhammedi's sister, Kani Muhammedi, who lives in Switzerland, received the award on her behalf.

The committee said: “The award was given to Zara Muhammedi for her tireless and voluntary efforts to teach the Kurdish language, defend the fundamental right to her native language and fight against the denial of the Kurdish identity. Zara continued on this path for years in the difficult situation of Kurdistan, where her language and identity were restricted. Despite unfair punishments and arrests, Zara spoke openly and bravely against the injustice against her language and identity, thus playing an important role in raising awareness against this injustice within and outside Kurdistan.”

Zara Muhammedi, a member of the Social and Cultural Commission of Nujin Association in Sine, was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Sine Revolutionary Court in February 2020 for teaching Kurdish to students.

Muhammedi was released last February. In a video after her release, said: "I was released in a hurry. I didn’t know it was going to happen, nor did my family, members of the Nûjîn Association and my lawyer, and without an apology either from me or my lawyer. I have previously informed the judicial authorities through my lawyer that I will never apologize. I have faith in my cause and my path, and I will not give up my cause until the end of my life."