The prize was established in connection with the founding of the Jan Myrdal Society and is awarded by entrepreneur Lasse Diding.
Hallands Nyheter asks Feiler whether he can accept an award named after an autocrat, according to some even a mass murderer:
No, you can't judge Lenin without putting him in a historical context. He was the first person after the French Revolution to challenge the existing order. At the time, it was impossible to know what the Russian Revolution would lead to, just as it was impossible to know that the introduction of democracy in Germany would lead to Hitler's seizure of power, says the laureate.
However, he does not consider Lenin an icon.
Dror Feiler is being awarded for "consistently fighting war, fascism, racism and oppression and tirelessly defending artistic freedom and international solidarity," according to a press release.
The Lenin Prize, also known as the Jan Myrdal Prize, went to climate scientist Andreas Malm last year. Previous laureates include authors Karl Ove Knausgård and Nina Björk.
