Malcolm Bidali Noah
Bidali is a Kenyan blogger and security guard who writes about migrant workers’ experiences in Qatar, where he lived for three years. On May 4, 2021, he was detained… More
Mohammed Al-Ajami
Poet Al-Ajami was convicted in November 2012 for “inciting the overthrow of the ruling regime” and “criticizing the Emir” in two of his poems. He was sentenced to life… More
(Poem from a Prison Cell)
If you ask after my finest day / on an occasion when words of pride are called for / I’d call history to mind, and say: / It was… More
Poet’s Sentence Upheld on Appeal
PEN continues to protest the detention of poet Mohammed Ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami, whose 15-year sentence for “criticizing the ruler” and “inciting the overthrow of the ruling system” was upheld… More
Mohammed al-Ajami | Status: Released | Qatar
Born on December 24, 1975, Mohammed al-Ajami, a Qatari citizen, is a poet and a third-year literature student at Cairo University. He is married with two daughters and two… More
Qatar Authorities Thwart PEN Prison Visit with al-Ajami
PEN representatives were denied access to jailed poet Mohammed al-Ajami this week after Qatar’s highest court upheld the poet’s 15-year sentence on Monday. Al-Ajami remains in solitary confinement two… More
PEN American Center Protests Fifteen-Year Prison Sentence for Qatari Poet
Al Ajami was arrested in 2011 on charges of “inciting the overthrow of the ruling system” and insulting the emir after a video of him reading an original poem… More
Poet’s Life Sentence Reduced
PEN International continues to protest the detention of poet Mohammed Ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami, whose life sentence for a critical poem was reduced to 15 years on February 25, 2013. More
Poet Sentenced to Life Imprisonment; Fears for Safety
PEN International condemns the life sentence handed down to Qatari poet Mohammed Ibn al-Dheeb al-Ajami for allegedly "inciting the overthrow of the ruling regime" and "criticizing the ruler" in… More
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