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

Moqbel Al-Saqqar

A novelist noted for his support of women's rights, Al-Saqqar was arrested in the April 2019 crackdown on writers and journalists in Saudi Arabia. He was detained without access… More

Nadhir Al-Majid

Al-Majid was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison in January 2017 in connection with an opinion piece he wrote in 2011 titled “I protest, therefore I am,”… More

Writers at Risk Database

Ali Al-Domaini

Pro-democracy activist Al-Domaini was arrested in March 2004 for criticizing Saudi Arabia's National Commission of Human Rights and planning to set up his own organization. In August 2005, he… More

Writers at Risk Database

Svetlana Slapšak

Writer and activist Svetlana Slapšak faced physical and legal threats for her human rights work in Serbia. In 1989, she was dismissed from her job, and in 1991 fled… More

Jacques Pauw

In 2017, the State Security Agency (SSA) threatened legal action and issued a cease and desist order against writer and journalist Pauw for his book The President’s Keepers: Those… More

Mohammed Saud Al-Bishr

Al-Bishr, a professor and commentator on politics and religion, was arrested in October 2017. Human rights monitors report that he was arrested for commenting on excessive censorship in media.… More

Abdullah Al-Duhailan

Al-Duhailan, a novelist and an advocate for Palestinian rights who also reported on Saudi women driving in defiance of the driving ban, was detained in April 2019 but no… More

Salah Al-Haidar

Al-Haidar was arrested without charge in a wave of arrests in April 2019. While in detention, he has been denied access to a lawyer. He is the son of… More

Khadija Al-Harbi

Feminist writer Al-Harbi was arrested and her home raided during a crackdown on dissents in April 2019. She was reportedly in the late stages of pregnancy at the time… More