Ahmed Mansoor

Mansoor was sentenced to ten years in prison and heavily fined in 2018 after being found guilty of defamation and "spreading false information online." He has gone on at… More

Mohammed Al-Roken

Mohammed Al-Roken

Al-Roken, a lawyer and human rights advocate who has represented numerous other activists, was tried along with 93 other defendants for anti-state activity and sentenced to ten years in… More

Nasser Bin Ghaith

Nasser bin Ghaith

After tweeting criticism of the governments of Egypt and the UAE, Dr. bin Ghaith was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in 2017. During his closed-door trial, the judge allegedly… More

Writers at Risk Database

Mehmet Osman Kavala

A noted philanthropist and publisher focusing on promoting intercultural understanding, Kavala was setting up a cultural center for Syrian refugees when he was detained on terrorism charges in late… More

İlhan Sami Çomak

Kurdish poet Çomak was arrested in 1994 and sentenced to life in prison for membership in the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party. While in prison, he has published eight books… More

Gültekin Avcı

Avcı, a former columnist at the now-shuttered newspaper Bugün, was arrested following the failed July 2016 coup. His trial was merged with a separate trial where defendants were accused… More

Ali Ünal

A columnist at the daily Zaman, Ünal was arrested in August 2016 during a purge of followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen following the coup attempt. Ünal had previously… More

Writers at Risk Database

Selahattin Demirtaş

Writer and leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, Demirtaş has been jailed since 2016 despite his detention being ruled unconstitutional and the ECHR ordering his release. In March… More

Essam Al-Zamil

Essam Al-Zamil

A well-known economist, Al-Zamil was detained in September 2017 for his writing criticizing Aramco, the Saudi national oil company, and its inflated valuation on the stock market. He reportedly… More

Adel Banaima

Banaima, a lecturer at the University of Umm Al-Qura in Mecca and editor-in-chief of Jusoor Magazine, was arrested and detained without charge in September 2017. Information about his status… More