Arzhang Davoodi

Davoodi was arrested in 2003 after participating in the production of a documentary entitled Forbidden Iran. After a series of sham trials and convictions, he faced the death penalty… More

Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee

Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee

Iraee was first sentenced to six years in prison in 2014 on charges related to an unpublished short story criticizing the practice of stoning. Released in April 2019, she… More

Arun Ferreira

In August 2018, Ferreira was arrested and detained on politically motivated charges of incitement to violence along with other leftist writer-activists in a coordinated raid. His charge sheet was… More

Vernon Gonsalves

In August 2018, Gonsalves was arrested on politically motivated charges of incitement to violence along with other leftist writer-activists connected to the Bhima Koregaon case in a coordinated raid.… More

Varavara Rao

P. Varavara Rao

A renowned Telugu poet and leftist intellectual, Rao has been imprisoned by multiple governments for his viewpoints. In August 2018, he was arrested with other activists accused of inciting… More

Elie Kamano

Following a peaceful demonstration against President Alpha Condé’s third term in October, singer/songwriter Elie Kamano was arrested for 'participation in a gathering likely to disturb public order.' In November,… More

Fessehaye Yohannes Johannes

Co-founder of the newspaper Setit, Yohannes was arrested in a sweeping crackdown on print media following the September 11 attacks and has been detained incommunicado since, drawing grave concern… More

Idris Mohammed Ali

Popular Tigrinya-language singer/songwriter Idris Mohamed Ali was arrested and detained without charge in November 2005. He has been held incommunicado since; rumors of his death have circulated online but… More

Idris Said Abu’Are

Freelance journalist and author of short fiction Idris Said was arrested in October 2001, after questioning the arrests en masse of his colleagues following the September 11 attacks. Since… More

Writers at Risk Database

Berhane Abrehe

A former top government official, Abrehe was arrested in September 2018, barely a week after he published a book criticizing Eritrea's autocracy. Abrehe's continued detention calls into question Eritrea's… More