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Freedom Letters Receives 2025 AAP International Freedom to Publish Award

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Freedom Letters, a Russian and Ukrainian language publishing house, has been awarded the 2025 AAP International Freedom to Publish Award for its courageous defense of free expression. Founded by Georgy Urushadze, a political journalist and former head of Russia's main literary prizes, Freedom Letters continues to publish despite facing severe censorship and persecution in Russia. The award recognizes the publishing house's remarkable tenacity and dedication to publishing authors who have been silenced by the government.

Key Takeaways:

  • Freedom Letters is a Russian and Ukrainian language publishing house that has been awarded the 2025 AAP International Freedom to Publish Award for its defense of free expression.
  • Georgy Urushadze, the founder and publisher of Freedom Letters, was previously head of Russia's main literary prizes but resigned in 2022 in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
  • Urushadze has been designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government and has fled the country to continue publishing.
  • Freedom Letters has published 236 books by 300 authors with a team of 40 volunteers supporting the publishing house.
  • Several Freedom Letters authors are currently facing criminal charges or are imprisoned in Russia, including Svetlana Petriichuk, who is serving a six-year sentence for writing a play.
  • The publishing house has been banned in Russia, its website is blocked by authorities, and its books are prohibited by the Prosecutor General.
  • The award includes a cash prize and was created in honor of Jeri Laber, a co-founder of Human Rights Watch and founding member of AAP's Freedom to Publish Committee.
  • Previous recipients of the award include publishers from Belarus, Venezuela, Guatemala, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Iran, who have faced government pressure, harassment, and threats.
  • The Association of American Publishers represents the leading book, journal, and education publishers in the United States and advocacy for outcomes that incentivize and protect works of authorship.

Statistics:

  • 236 books published by Freedom Letters in the past two and a half years
  • 300 authors published by Freedom Letters in the past two and a half years
  • 40 volunteers supporting the publishing house
  • 6-year sentence served by Svetlana Petriichuk for writing a play
  • 5 previous recipients of the AAP International Freedom to Publish Award who faced government pressure, harassment, and threats

Sources:

  • Association of American Publishers ("Freedom Letters Receives 2025 AAP International Freedom to Publish Award")
  • https://publishers.org/news/freedom-letters-receives-2025-aap-international-freedom-to-publish-award/

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