(NEW YORK)—PEN America today calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Egyptian poet and activist Ahmed Douma, who was detained on Monday, highlighting the Egyptian government’s alarming and relentless persecution of free expression.
This latest detention is part of the Egyptian government’s ongoing harassment of Douma—including a decade in prison, at least five separate investigations, and an ongoing travel ban.
“Ahmed Douma has been repeatedly investigated, charged, physically assaulted, banned from traveling, detained and re-detained, all for his peaceful activism and free expression,” said Asma Laouira, PEN America’s research and advocacy senior program manager for the Middle East and North Africa. “His shocking treatment is unfortunately not an isolated case. For writers like Douma, who continue to expose abuses by the Egyptian government, it seems that their persecution never ends.”
Douma was imprisoned between 2013 and 2023 for “illegal assembly” among other charges, which the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) deemed arbitrary. He was eventually released on a presidential pardon Aug. 19, 2023. Even after his release, he lived under a strict travel ban and was subject to smear campaigns and at least one physical attack by unknown assailants. Last year he was charged with “disseminating false news” multiple times, which resulted in repeated summons and interrogations.
On April 6, after a six hour interrogation, the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered Douma’s four-day detention pending an investigation on charges of “spreading false news” related to an article he wrote recently for The New Arab about prisons in society.
According to PEN America’s Freedom to Write Index, Egypt has consistently ranked in the top ten worst jailers of writers for the past six years, making it one of the most restrictive environments for free expression in the Middle East and North Africa. The Egyptian authorities should release Douma and end all forms of persecution against writers for their work.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.