Zanele Muholi has won the Freedom of Expression Index award over punk group Pussy Riot, filmmaker Haifaa al Mansour and cartoonist Aseem Trivedi.

The Index Awards, which are part of the Freedom of Expression Awards, are, according to the organisers, "an extraordinary celebration of the courageous and determined individuals around the world who have stood up for free expression, often at great personal risk".

The prizes are handed outby the Index on Censorship Institute, which also compiles the Media Freedom Index.

Muholi received her award from Indexs chair, writer and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby. Dedicating the award to two friends who were victims of hate crimes and later succumbed to HIV complications, Muholi said: "To all the activists, gender activists, visual activists, queer artists, writers, poets, performers, art activists, organic intellectuals who use all art forms of expressions in South Africa. The war is not over till we reach an end to 'curative rapes' and brutal killing of black lesbians, gays and transpersons in South Africa."

Original post:

SA activist wins international Freedom of Expression award