Writers at Risk Database

Nizar Nayouf

Poet, journalist, and activist Nayouf was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1992 for his membership in the banned CDF and for his role as editor-in-chief of the… More

Moheeb Al-Nawaty

Palestinian journalist and author Al-Nawaty was detained for unspecified “security reasons” in 2011 while translating his book in Damascus. In 2013, the Norwegian government reported he was in Syrian… 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

Writers at Risk Database

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

Writers at Risk Database

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

Essam Al-Zamil

Essam Al-Zamil

A well-known economist, Al-Zamil was detained in September 2017 for his writing criticizing Aramco, the Saudi national oil company, and its inflated valuation on the stock market. He reportedly… More

Adel Banaima

Banaima, a lecturer at the University of Umm Al-Qura in Mecca and editor-in-chief of Jusoor Magazine, was arrested and detained without charge in September 2017. Information about his status… More

Fayez Bin Damakh

In September 2017, poet and reporter Bin Damakh was reported missing days before he was due to launch a TV news channel in Kuwait. Local press reports suggest he… More

Abdulrahman Farhana

Farhana, a columnist who wrote on Palestinian and regional politics and Islamist political movements for Al Jazeera and other outlets, was detained in February 2019. Farhana is being held… More

Zuhair Kutbi

Kutbi was imprisoned in January 2019 as part of a crackdown on dissident journalists. He had already served 2 years from 2015-2017 on charges of "inciting against the state."… More