New Delhi: The Index on Censorship award for Journalism, 2023 has been won by Mohammad Zubair, one of the founding members of well-respected fact-checking organisation AltNews. The Index said of Zubair that “his fight against fake news and disinformation in India has led to him facing attacks, slander and even jail”.The Index on Censorship is a non-governmental group that campaigns for and defends free expression globally. They “publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech.” They added, significantly, “We all share in his [Zubair’s] campaign for transparent and accurate news.”Zubair after winning the award said, “It’s been an honour and a privilege to receive the Index [on Censorship] award, especially at a time when fake news and disinformation has emerged as a Frankenstein monster here in India. I hope this award will serve as a flicker of hope to several other younger journalists, my colleagues at AltNews and the readers of AltNews. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who stood by me when I was attacked, slandered and even jailed for doing my job. Thank you.”When Zubair was nominated last month, the Index referred to his arrest in June 2022, saying it is representative of the significant threats he has faced after challenging mis and disinformation propagated by influential members of the ruling party.Index on Censorship CEO Ruth Anderson had said said that the Freedom of Expression Awards are a “chance to recognise the astonishing work being done in extraordinary circumstances by artists, journalists, and campaigners around the world”.The awards they give are across four categories of Arts, Campaigning, Journalism and the Trustee award. The other two nominees on the shortlist were Bilan Media, which is Somalia’s first women-only media organisation and newsroom, and Afghan-French journalist and filmmaker Mortaza Behboudi who was forced to leave Afghanistan in his youth due to previous threats as a result of his reporting, and was detained by the Taliban in January in Kabul.Last year, Sophia Huang Xueqin received the award. She is a Chinese activist and journalist.Index on Censorship is based in London and also brings out a quarterly magazine devoted to calling out censorship and standing for free expression. Poet Stephen Spender was closely associated with this venture.