ALEKSANDRA SKOCHILENKO

Arts Award | Winner | Freedom of Expression Awards

Index on Censorship announces Russian anti-war musician, artist and campaigner, Aleksandra Skochilenko, as the winner of the 2024 Freedom of Expression Awards in the Arts category.

The Arts category celebrates artists and art producers whose work challenges repression and injustice and celebrates artistic free expression.

Aleksandra Skochilenko said: “I’m really flattered to have received this award because I’m awarded just for being myself and sometimes being yourself is really hard work.”

Skochilenko was arrested on 11 April 2022 for participating in anti-war protests against the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine including writing, producing, and publicly performing an anti-war song. After spending 19 months in pre-trial detention, in November 2023 Skochilenko was charged under Article 207.3 of Russia’s Criminal Code and sentenced to seven years in prison. In August 2024, she was released in a prisoner swap and now lives in exile.

Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship said: “Aleksandra’s protests against Putin and the war in Ukraine have been brave, creative and at times funny. In a world that feels increasingly dark and grey she provides light and colour. We are thrilled that she is now out of prison and we will work alongside her to help bring about the conditions that mean she can return to her home in Russia.”

The Freedom of Expression Awards celebrate the brave efforts of individuals and organisations worldwide to protect free expression, advocate for the right to information, and combat censorship. Selected by a distinguished panel of judges, the winners are honoured for their extraordinary courage and commitment to truth, justice, and human rights—often in the face of serious threats, including harassment, imprisonment, and even death.

The jury panel for the 2024 awards is made up of Baroness Hollick OBE; Ziyad Marar, President of Global Publishing at Sage; Sir Trevor Phillips OBE, chair of Index on Censorship; Ben Preston, Culture Editor of The Times & Sunday Times; Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship.