Writers at Risk Database

Fariba Adelkhah

French-Iranian anthropologist Adelkhah was detained in June 2019 while visiting Iran to conduct sociopolitical research. In May 2020, she was sentenced to six years on propaganda and national security… More

Doddipalya Narasimha Murthy

In October 2019, police arrested Murthy on charges of treason and attempted murder based on allegations from 1994. This was believed to be because of his criticism of the… More

Yury Alexeyevich Dmitriev

Yury Alexeyevich Dmitriev

A historian who researched Stalinist atrocities and head of the Karelia branch of the human rights organization Memorial, Dmitriev was imprisoned on baseless charges of sexual assault. On September… More

Roberto de Jesús Quiñones Haces

In August 2019, Quiñones Haces was sentenced to one year in prison for his reporting and refusal to pay the fines levied against him for his writing. In March… More

Zahra Mohammadi

Zahra Mohammadi

Mohammadi was arrested in 2019 for teaching the Kurdish language and detained for seven months, including a period in solitary confinement. In February 2021, an appeals court upheld a… More

Ali Aracı Grup Yorum

Musician Aracı is a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum who plays the flute and kaval. The band's music has angered Turkish authorities and members have faced… More

Mehmet Baransu

Baransu has been detained since March 2015 for his reporting on an alleged coup attempt that referenced leaked military documents. He faces charges in at least four distinct court… More

Saleh Al-Shehi

In January 2018, Al-Shehi, a noted anti-corruption columnist critical of the government, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for “insulting the royal court.” He was released from prison… More

Writers at Risk Database

Maria Ressa

Ressa, acclaimed journalist and CEO of digital news outlet Rappler, faces legal and political backlash for covering human rights abuses. She was convicted of tax fraud and cyber libel… More

Writers at Risk Database

Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu

Çulhaoğlu is a prolific author and lead columnist for the political publication Türk Solu. His writing and tweets served as evidence of terrorism charges, leading to an over 6-year… More