Why is Ukrainian Eurovision winner Jamala placed on Russia’s wanted list? Details explored 

Jamala, born Susana Jamaladinova, is a Ukrainian singer-songwriter who won the Eurovision 2016 under her stage name. The singer won the contest by singing the song 1944, which explores the forcible expulsion of Crimean Tartars from Crimea by the Soviet Union in 1944. Despite the Russian government's efforts to have the song removed from the competition, the singer-songwriter emerged victorious.

Now the singer has been placed under the "most wanted list" of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to data obtained by CNN via the Russian TASS outlet on November 20, 2023.

CNN reported that Russian law enforcement agencies stated to TASS that the listing "may be related to the case of disseminating fake news about the Russian Army."

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More on Jamala's inclusion in Russian most wanted list

The report by CNN further speculates that the inclusion of the singer in the most wanted as well as the banned artist list has been motivated by her performance of the song 1944, which has taken on a new significance as a sign of resistance, following the start of the Russian invasion of 2014 and 2022 respectively:

According to accounts in European media, the song 1944 was performed as a loud protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin's military incursion into Ukraine in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The singer-songwriter has herself also responded to her inclusion in a most wanted list, stating in a statement to Sky News on November 21, 2023, that it was currently very easy for someone to track her down:

"Three days ago I was in Washington. Five days ago I was in Paris. You know, you can find all the information about me."

Describing that she is upset with people threatening her relatives, Jamala further added,

"I heard rumours someone came to my relatives in Crimea and tried to frighten them."

Jamala continued:

"[They're] trying to stop me or scare me… but I strongly believe that as an artist, as a musician, as a songwriter, I can be real and live my life as I want... Music can speak and convey the truth. And the truth is the truth. There is no getting away from it."

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent war, Ukrainian singers and artists such as Jamala have played a key role in the defiance and resistance of their country against a superpower.

Ukrainian artists, including Jamala, have created projects to help fellow citizens deal with trauma, and raised funds for the defence of the country through fundraiser tours, while some have also joined the war as volunteer fighters.

Okasana Lyniv, the Ukrainian composer, elaborated on the artists' role in the war in an exclusive statement to Outlook on December 17, 2022. The composer stated that the execution of Yuriy Kerpatenko, chief conductor of Kherson Music and Drama Theatre by Russian troops, further galvanized artists to be vocal about their resistance:

"Kerpatenko’s killing was one of the many tragic deaths of Ukrainian musicians and artists this year. This for me is the clearest evidence that we have no alternative but to liberate our land from the occupiers. There is no going back..We have to fight for our freedom, freedom of self-expression, freedom of our culture."

The Russo-Ukrainian war continues in its second year, with a Ukrainian counter-offensive having been stalled due to the extensive defenses set by Russia in its occupied territory. The war is expected to continue till 2025 or above, starting with a fresh offensive by Russia in the coming winter.