Writers at Risk Database

Fernando Villavicencio

In April 2017, Villavicencio, a journalist and author, sought asylum in Peru due to threats against him and his family, and a pre-trial detention order alleging he leaked documents… More

Writers at Risk Database

Ahmed Naji

Charged with ‘violating public modesty’ for sexual content in his novel The Use of Life, Naji served 10 months in prison in 2016. After a prolonged legal battle during… More

Writers at Risk Database

Fatima Naoot

Long famous for her politically-charged poetry, Naoot was sentenced to three years in prison in 2016 for defaming Islam in a Facebook post critical of the Eid al-Adha tradition… More

Francis Sanchéz Rodríguez

Francis Sánchez Rodríguez

A prolific author and founder of a magazine seen as a platform for free expression in Cuba, Sánchez faced government harassment and intimidation for decades in connection with his… More

Writers at Risk Database

Yoani Sánchez

A blogger who gained widespread fame for her critical portrayal of daily life in Cuba, Sánchez was arrested in 2012 for her reporting on the death of dissident leader… More

Hailaite Niyazi Hairat, or Gheyret Niyaz

A former reporter and columnist, Niyazi also managed the Uyghurbiz website and had publicly criticized government policies toward Uyghurs. After a one-day sham trial in 2010, he was convicted… More

Writers at Risk Database

Jineth Bedoya Lima

Bedoya was abducted twice while reporting: she was kidnapped, raped, and tortured while preparing for an interview with a paramilitary group leader in 2000; and was abducted in 2003… More

Juan Pablo Barrientos

Juan Pablo Barrientos

In October 2019, after he published Let the Little Children Come to Me, Barrientos was accused of defamation by members of the Catholic Church. During two trials, sales of… More

Writers at Risk Database

Ante Tomić

In November 2019, Tomić, a writer and journalist, was ordered to pay 15,000 HRK (US$ 4,300) in psychological damages, plus legal fees, to the Minister of Culture after publishing… More

Jorge Olivera Castillo

Jorge Olivera Castillo

Journalist Castillo was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2003, and wrote poetry and fiction while in prison. He was released after 18 months due to health. After… More