Bahar Kurt Grup Yorum
Kurt is a member of the activist band Grup Yorum. Since the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the government and members have faced serious threats. Kurt faced… More
Helin Bölek Grup Yorum
Singer Bölek was a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum. Since the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the Turkish government and members have faced serious… More
Sultan Gökçek Grup Yorum
Gökçek is a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum, whose critical songs have angered the Turkish government since its inception. She has been arrested in police raids… More
Julian Assange
Assange, publisher of WikiLeaks, was imprisoned in the U.K. in 2019 for violating bail terms. He faces imminent extradition to the U.S. where he has been indicted on multiple… More
Ruslan Sharipov
Sharipov was detained in 2001 after publishing a series of articles challenging the government. In 2002, he was beaten three times, and, in 2003, was arrested on suspicion of… More
Muhammad Bekjanov
A prominent journalist and advocate for democracy in the post-Soviet era, Bekjanov was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in 1999 when then-president Karimov blamed explosions in Tashkent on Erk,… More
Dzamshid Karimov
Freelance journalist Karimov has twice been placed in psychiatric detention by Uzbek authorities--for 5 years in 2006 and again for 5 years in 2012. A nephew of former president… More
Mamadali Mahmudov
Mahmudov was released in 2013 after serving 14 years in prison on charges of “threats” to the president and the constitutional order. A supporter of the opposition Erk party,… More
Stanislav Aseyev
Ukrainian writer Aseyev was kidnapped by pro-Russian militants in June 2017 and forced to confess to "spying." For 3 years, he had published reports on life under Russian occupation… More
Oleh Halaziuk
Radio Free Europe columnist Halaziuk was detained by Russian-backed separatists from August 2017 through December 2019. Since the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine, he had covered everyday living conditions… More