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 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
Faraj Ahmad Birqdar | Status: Released | Syria
Syrian poet Faraj Ahmad Birqdar spent over 13 years in jail from 1987 to 2000 due to his work on behalf of free expression and non-violent political action. He… More
Nizar Nayouf | Status: Displaced/In Exile | Syria
Nizar Nayouf is a writer, sociologist, and human rights activist who, at the time of the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, was serving a 10-year prison sentence with… More
Syria: Thirteen Scenes From Hell
Not a day goes by without me hearing the same old refrain from my women friends: “Shouldn’t the opposition council represent the revolution? Where are the women? Don’t we… More
Syria: What Does it Mean to be a Syrian Poet Today?
Ghost towns, devastated forests, fire-ravaged fruit groves, refugees in their millions, deaths in their hundreds of thousands, a raging war and a future without prospects. This, in a nutshell,… More
Playwright Arrested; Fears for Safety
PEN International fears for the safety of Syrian playwright and actor Zaki Cordillo, who has been held since August 13, 2012, in Damascus and is considered to be at… More
Tal Al-Mallouhi | Status: Disappeared | Syria
Tal Al-Mallouhi is a student, blogger, and poet from Homs, Syria, serving a five-year sentence for "divulging information to a foreign state." No evidence was disclosed to justify… More
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