Ukrainian Musician Refuses Award Over Disagreement with Russian Recipient’s Views
Andriy Khlyvnyuk, the frontman of Ukrainian band Bumboks and a Ukrainian defender, has turned down the prestigious Magnitsky Award. He disagreed with fellow recipient Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, who expressed doubts about Western military aid to Ukraine.
Khlyvnyuk served as a reason for declining the award, saying he couldn’t accept it alongside people questioning the need for Western weapons in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. As a father and a serviceman, he felt strongly about receiving the award only if all recipients supported providing Ukraine with necessary armaments.
The statement seemed to reference Navalnaya’s recent comments, where she expressed uncertainty about whether supplying Western armaments was the right approach. Khlyvnyuk declined the award alongside Azerbaijani lawyer Zhala Bayramova, Afghan journalist Zahra Joya, and Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado.
The Magnitsky Award recognizes achievements in investigative journalism and human rights advocacy. Previous winners include notable figures like Boris Nemtsov, Jan Lipavsky, John McCain, and Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov.