The Monismanien Prize, awarded to organisations and persons that have made significant contributions to defending freedom of speech, held the 2025 ceremony in Uppsala (Sweden) on 22 November.
This year, the Monismanien Prize was awarded to the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) and PEN Ukraine.
Jakob Norrhall, the President of the Monismanien Foundation by Kenne Fant, said that the Institute of Mass Information and PEN Ukraine had been chosen for their “exceptional journalistic achievements during the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
The prize was accepted by Institute of Mass Information director Oksana Romaniuk and PEN Ukraine President Volodymyr Yermolenko at a gala ceremony in Sweden.
“The Monismanien Prize is a Swedish award that has been around for 50 years. This year marks its anniversary. It is an award for those who fight against authoritarianism and oppression and for freedom of speech. Today, it is important for us to emphasize that there is no freedom of speech without freedom of the people. There is no free speech without the lives of those who are the bearers of that speech,“ said Volodymyr Yermolenko in his speech. ”That is why it is so important today to protect the lives of Ukrainians, the Ukrainian state, and Ukrainian culture. And to honor those who gave their lives for the lives of others. Today, Russia is bringing death to Ukraine – the death of freedom throughout the world. And Ukraine is defending that life in freedom.”
“The award that IMI receives today is an important signal that the world recognizes the role of Ukrainian journalists in preserving democratic order even in wartime,” Oksana Romaniuk emphasized. “The resilience of democracy begins with whether communities have access to verified information. This support will allow us to continue systematic work to ensure that Ukrainian media remain strong, independent, and professional.”
The Monismanien Prize (Monismanienpriset) was established in 1975 by Kenne Fant, a Swedish director, in memory of Swedish journalist Torgny Segerstedt, renowned for his uncompromising anti-Nazi stance and efforts to alert the Swedish public to the dangers of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s. The Prize is awarded by Göteborgs nation at Uppsala University.
The prize has been awarded almost every other year since 1976 to individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to defending freedom of speech. Notable recipients include former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, Czech author Václav Havel, Saudi dissident Raif Badawi, and others. In 2022, the prize was awarded to Bellingcat journalist Eliot Higgins and for his “efforts in combating disinformation.”
In November 2024, PEN Ukraine, Lviv Media Forum, and the media outlet Rubryka were awarded the Democracy Courage Tribute at the 12th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy. With this award, the organisers honored “Ukrainian civil society’s courageous activity in wartime, especially for documenting Russia’s war crimes against Ukraine, concurrent reform-oriented work, and promoting Ukrainians’ awareness and involvement.”
