Presentation of the Research on Music as a Tool of Propaganda

On December 17, at the Prosecutor`s Training Center of Ukraine, the presentation of the research “Music That Kills: Holding Artists Accountable for War Propaganda” took place. This research is dedicated to the socio-psychological impact of music as a tool of propaganda and explores ways to ensure accountability for promoting aggressive war through musical works.

The research was implemented through the joint efforts of the NGO LingvaLexa, the law firm Mitrax, and the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office, with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The event was opened by Roman Romanov, Director of the IRF “Human Rights and Justice” Program, and Olesia Otradnova, Head of the Prosecutor`s Training Center of Ukraine.

Participants discussed how the Russian Federation actively uses culture as a propaganda instrument, disguising it under the slogans of “freedom of speech” and “culture beyond politics.” The discussion also covered the consequences of this approach, its impact on society, and the urgent need to ensure accountability for spreading war propaganda through music.

Among the speakers were:

Anna Vyshniakova, Head of the NGO LingvaLexa, lawyer specializing in international criminal law;

Fedir Kolosov, Assistant Attorney in the Dispute Resolution Practice at Mitrax Law Firm;

Kostiantyn Hozdup, Head of the Department for Oversight of Law Compliance by the Regional Security Authority, Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office;

Gregory Gordon, Professor and international expert on international crimes;

Anna Zharova, public activist, representative of Israeli Friends of Ukraine;

Jais Adam-Troian, Associate Professor of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University.

Experts discussed in detail the possibilities of cooperation with music platforms, the application of sanctions, and mechanisms of accountability for using music as a weapon of propaganda.

The next stage of the project will involve developing effective mechanisms to counter cultural propaganda with the participation of experts from various fields.

The research is available at the link (PDF).