According to the report, music is one of the most vulnerable art forms, with the Taliban having practically eradicated it from public life in Afghanistan. In the UK, pro-Palestinian expressions from musicians have triggered police investigations and legal actions. The many ongoing wars in the world have a major impact on artists' freedom.
In Russia, artists who criticize the war risk being arrested, prosecuted, and forced into exile. In Sudan, over 50 artists have been reported killed since the war broke out in April 2023. In Ukraine, now in its fourth year of war, UNESCO has registered over 500 cultural heritage sites as damaged or destroyed.
The report also describes self-censorship, with an example from Turkey where cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu risked three years in prison for her series about sex during the pandemic. According to SVT Kultur, Zehra Ömeroğlu described self-censorship as having permeated everything so deeply that most artists in Turkey are not even aware of it.