Rapid Actions
Pussy Riot Trial Closed; Verdict Due August 17
The trial against Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samusevich was closed yesterday, August 8, 2012, and the verdict will be given on August 17. The three members of… More
Human Rights Defender and Journalist Nargess Mohammadi Released
PEN International welcomes the release on bail of prominent Iranian human rights activist and journalist Nargess Mohammadi on July 30, 2012. PEN continues to call for all charges against… More
Mounting Concerns for Two Detained Azeri Poets
PEN International is seriously concerned for the welfare of Azeri writers Farid Huseyn and Shahriyar Hajizade, who have been held without charge in Iran since May 2, 2012. PEN… More
Büşra Ersanli Freed Pending Trial
From the day that the prosecutor ruled my detention, until now, everything has been upside down. I am speechless and now going back to Silivri [prison] to pack my… More
Journalist Frederica Jansz (F) Threatened; Fears for Safety
Sri Lankan journalist Frederica Jansz received a death threat from Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa during a telephone interview on July 5, 2012. More
Writer and Lawyer Muharrem Erbey Writes of Two and A Half Years of Detention
Human rights lawyer, writer, and PEN Turkey Member Muharrem Erbey was arrested in December 2009 in the city of Diyarbakır in southeast Turkey, where he was president of the… More
Writer and Lawyer Muharrem Erbey Writes of Two and A Half Years of Detention
Background Information Autumn. In the morning, as I reach over the barbed wire crowning this wall six or seven metres in height, the sun as it passes briefly through our ventilation system… More
Journalist Frederica Jansz (F) Threatened; Fears for Safety
Background Information Article 19 gives the following information in its press release: Frederica Jansz is the editor of Sri Lankan weekly newspaper, The Sunday Leader, and was conducting a phone interview with Rajapaksa, who… More
Andrzej Poczobut Released on Bail, Still Faces Prison
Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut was released on bail on June 30. However, he still faces a prison sentence of almost eight years on charges of “libelling the President.” More
Writer Enoh Meyomesse’s Detention Extended By Six Months
Writer Enoh Meyomesse will remain in detention at Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé until December 30, 2012, which means that upon his release he will have spent 13 months… More
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