The Pulitzer Prize committee cited him "for his deeply affecting and illuminating coverage of daily life in war-torn Afghanistan.".
He was charged with "falsely presenting himself as a journalist" in violation of the strict accreditation requirements that were imposed by the government of Robert Mugabe.
In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Bearak has twice received the George Polk Award for foreign reporting, in 2001 "for his dynamic eyewitness reporting on the Taliban and his subsequent coverage of the war on terror," and in 2008, along with Celia Dugger, for "dozens of stories that painted a vivid picture of the repression, disease and hunger that still torment the nation of Zimbabwe."
He was the commencement speaker at the University of Illinois on May 18, 2003. https://commencement.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BarryBearakCommencementAddress.pdf[6] In March 2008, Bearak was assigned by the Times to cover the 2008 Zimbabwean election.
"[13] In addition, the International Press Institute, the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, called on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release Barry Bearak.
IPI Director David Dadge issued the following statement: The regulatory structures imposed by the Zimbabwean government have long served primarily to silence journalists, both local and foreign, but are particularly problematic during this vital election period.
We call on Zimbabwean authorities to promptly release Mr. Bearak, and to stop relying on arbitrary accreditation requirements to prevent independent commentary on the elections.
A magistrate in a court in Harare ruled that the state had failed to provide evidence of any crime, and ordered that Bearak and British journalist Stephen Bevan be released.
Upon the dismissal of the charges against Bearak, The New York Times executive editor Bill Keller thanked "many people — in particular some brave and honorable Zimbabweans — who stood by Barry" and also mentioned "officials and former officials, civic leaders and journalists' organizations in many countries" who offered support publicly and behind the scenes.