Writers at Risk Database

Waleed Abu Al-Khair

Al-Khair was the first activist prosecuted under a new Saudi Arabian law that introduced overly broad definitions of terrorism, such that it applies to speech. In June 2014, he… More

Junaid Hafeez

Hafeez, a liberal academic, was arrested for blasphemy in 2013 and has been in solitary confinement since 2014. An Islamist group lodged the accusation against him to prevent his… More

Abdelkabir Al-Hor

Al-Hor, creator and editor of a news website that is often critical of the Moroccan government, was arrested in 2017 and sentenced to four years in prison in 2018… More

Maati Monjib

Maati Monjib

An advocate for an independent press, historian Monjib was detained on December 29, 2020 following a retaliatory investigation against him into alleged money laundering. A month later, he was… More

Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi

Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi

Documentary filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, formerly detained for nearly a year for criticizing the military in his films and social media posts, was released in February 2020.… More

Ngar Min Swe Sar Min Swe

Ngar Min Swe was serving a seven-year prison sentence for "inciting hatred against the government," stemming from Facebook posts and critical news articles about Aung San Suu Kyi. Released… More

Hesameddin Farzizadeh

Farzizadeh was arrested in 2013 after writing his book From Islam to Islam, which raises questions about Shi’a Islam. He was convicted of apostasy, which carries the death penalty,… More

Writers at Risk Database

Aron Atabek Aron Yedigheev

Activist, writer, and publisher Atabek was convicted in 2007 of organizing mass disorder and killing a police officer, charges unsupported by sound testimony. While serving his 18 year prison… More

Baktash Abtin

Baktash Abtin

Poet and filmmaker Abtin, with two other board members of the Iranian Writers Association, was convicted in 2019 for opposing state censorship policies. Abtin's six-year prison sentence was upheld,… More

Keyvan Bajan

Keyvan Bajan

Novelist-journalist Bajan was imprisoned on September 27, 2020 and sentenced to three-and-a-half years for his peaceful opposition of state censorship, leadership of the Iranian Writers’ Association, and commemoration of… More