Today, Index on Censorship announces Palestinian lawyer and prison advocate, Diala Ayesh and Ugandan media and campaigning organisation, Kuchu Times as the winners of the 2024 Freedom of Expression Awards in the Campaigning category.
The Campaigning category honours activists and campaigners who have had a marked impact in fighting censorship and promoting freedom of expression.
Diala Ayesh’s family said:
“Diala has worked for many years defending political prisoners and detainees in Israeli occupation prisons and Palestinian Authority facilities. She has been tirelessly dedicated to defending stolen rights. Diala’s nomination for this award comes in recognition of her efforts in defending freedom of expression and independent voices.”
Ruth Muganzi, the programs director for Kuchu Times, said:
“The right to use our voices and our stories, to speak out and defend our lives, is a right worth fighting for. To be silent will never be an option. “
Ayesh is a Palestinian human rights defender and lawyer, who has advocated for the freedom and fair treatment of political prisoners. Since 2018, she has monitored the suppression, arrest, or persecution of those exercising their human rights and also represented many of those who have been targeted. On 17 January 2024, Israeli military forces arrested Ayesh at a military checkpoint in the West Bank. According to her lawyers, she has been subjected to assault, threats, and insults by Israeli soldiers during her arrest.
Kuchu Times is a media platform created for and by LGBTQ Ugandans. It was created as a reaction to the state’s anti-LGBTQ laws and the use of homophobia and hate by the state’s supporters towards the LGBTQ community. Its work focuses on ensuring that LGBTQ Ugandans have access to information that speaks to their needs, that there is a diverse representation and visibility of their reality and that those seeking knowledge on the LGBTQ+ Ugandan movement and community can access verifiable information.
Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship said:
“Diala is in the extremely challenging position of fighting opposition on both sides – from Palestinian forces who wish to stop what she does to Israeli forces who also want to see her silent. That she was not cowered is a testament to her bravery and fortitude.
“It takes a brave band of people to run a media platform like Kuchu Times and their work should be commended. More than that – they give a voice to the stories and experiences of so many within Uganda, filling a hole that is desperately needed.”
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.
Index on Censorship is a non-profit organisation that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide, including by publishing work by censored writers and artists and monitoring threats to free speech. We lead global advocacy campaigns to protect artistic, academic, media and digital freedom to strengthen the participatory foundations of modern democratic societies. www.indexoncensorship.org
