Michel Kilo
In 2006, Kilo was arrested after signing a declaration in support of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon. He was sentenced to three years in prison for spreading false… More
Abd Al-Akram Al-Sakka
On July 15, 2011, Abd Al-Akram Al-Sakka was arrested from his home without a warrant. His whereabouts and the conditions of his detention are unknown. Al-Sakka was last seen… More
Ali Al-Shihabi
Syrian Palestinian political analyst, writer, and blogger Al-Shihabi was arrested in December 2012 by the Palestine Branch of Syrian Military Intelligence. His location is unknown, but there are unconfirmed… More
Zaki Cordillo
Playwright and key figure in the Puppet Theatre, Cordillo was arrested with his son in Damascus on August 11, 2012. He is reportedly detained for his writing on Syria,… More
Hussein Essou
Kurdish writer Essou was arrested from his home by Syrian Air Force intelligence agents for allegedly participating in anti-government activity and advocating reform in September 2011. As of December… More
Abduhadi Kasheet
Writer and journalist Kasheet was arrested in July 2013 by the Air Force Intelligence Branch of Aleppo. His death was first reported in October 2013, and was later reported… More
Adnan Zarra’ai
Playwright and scriptwriter Zarra’ai was reportedly arrested in February 2012 and was detained incommunicado in the State Security Detention Centre in Damascus. His rib was reportedly broken by torture.… More
Faraj Ahmad Birqdar
Syrian poet and activist Birqdar was arrested in March 1987 on suspicion of being a member of Syria’s Party for Communist Action. He was held without trial for 6… More
Aref Dalila
Academic economist Dalila was arrested in 2001 in relation to his participation in the movement to democratize the Syrian government. In 2002, Dalila was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment… More
Tal Al-Mallouhi
Poet, student, and blogger Al-Mallouhi was detained in December 2009 for the content of her blog posts. In 2011, she was convicted of “divulging information to a foreign state”… More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
Join @PENAmerica in stopping the spread of disinformation this election season. Watch this video of writers and their call to distinguish fact from fiction online: https://youtu.be/dub1zEV24BE. http://pen.org/whattoexpect #WhatToExpect2020
A documentarian looks at the effect of a local newspaper’s closure in his own town. https://bit.ly/3laBlqH
