Punishing free speech with prison and persecution
Beaten, locked up, murdered: These five writers have paid a high price for expressing themselves freely. On the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we take a look at their stories.
A chilling list
Nobody knows exactly how many journalists, poets and writers worldwide are behind bars or have disappeared. Even thought the so-called "caselist" compiled by the writers' organization, PEN, may not be complete, with hundreds of names it is frightening proof of the sorry state of freedom of expression around the world.
Wael Abbas: Imprisoned
Egyptian Wael Abbas used his blog to report on human rights violations, corruption and police violence in his homeland. His writing landed him in prison in May 2017, where he has been ever since. PEN is drawing attention to the writer's situation; they have complained that the police have taken away all of his equipment as well as his personal belongings.
Shahidul Alam: Detained
After giving Al-Jazeera an interview in which he criticized the Bangladesh government for the actions it took against student protesters, Shahidul Alam was thrown into jail. The writer, photographer and activist has been in custody since August 5, charged with violating Bangladesh's Information and Communication Technology Act. He was awarded the 2018 Lucie Award for Humanitarian Photography.
Miroslava Breach Velducea: Murdered
Miroslava Breach Velducea was shot in the head in front of her apartment in Mexico in March 2017. The journalist, who had reported on corruption, revealed connections between politicians and drug cartels. According to PEN, Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. Since 2004, at least 96 writers and journalists have been killed there.
Dawit Isaak: Missing
The case of the Eritrean-Swedish author Dawit Isaak is distressing: In September 2001, he was arrested in Eritrea and then disappeared while supposedly behind bars. There has been no contact with him for 17 years. Is he still alive? PEN have called on Eritrean authorities to provide clarity about the fate of this and other disappeared authors.
Oleg Sentsov: Arrested and award-winning!
Ukrainian writer and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was arrested by Russian security forces in 2014 after he protested against the Russian annexation of the Crimea. A Russian military court sentenced him to 20 years in jail. Now Sentsov is to receive the Sakharov Human Rights Prize from the European Parliament in Strasbourg. But will Moscow let him leave the country to accept it?