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

Faraj Ahmad Birqdar

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

Nizar Nayouf | Status: 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