Rapid Actions
PEN Joins Call for Release of Pussy Riot Band Members
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova have been held since March 4, and Ekaterina Samusevich since March 15. By the next trial hearing, they will have been held for well… More
Activist and Journalist Nargess Mohammadi Summoned to Serve Six-Year Sentence
Human rights activist and journalist Nargess Mohammadi is in detention, having been summoned to serve a six-year prison term on April 21, 2012. More
Reporter Décio Sá Shot to Death in Suspected Contract Killing
Brazilian journalist Décio Sá., a reporter for local newspaper O Estado do Maranhão, was shot to death by an unidentified man in what appears to have been a contract… More
Fears for Poet and Journalist Habib Ali Al-Maatiq
Poet and journalist Habib Ali al-Maatiq has been held without charge for his critical reporting since February 22, 2012, and is feared to be at risk of torture and… More
Mounting Concerns for Translator Mohammad Soleimani Nia
Literary translator Mohammad Soleimani Nia, who has started a hunger strike in protest against his being detained without charges, is said to be in fragile condition. More
Journalist and Political Activist Dimitry Bondarenko Released
Dimitry Bondarenko (also referred to as Dzmitry Bandarenka) was released on April 15, 2012, jointly with Andrei Sannikov, who ran against President Alexander Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential… More
Writer and Human Rights Defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja’s Life Is in Danger
Writer and prominent human rights defender Abdulhadi al-Khawaja enters the 65th day of his hunger strike, begun on February 8, 2012, in protest against his detention and ill-treatment. In… More
Serious Concern for the Health of Journalist Dimitry Bondarenko
Dimitry Bondarenko (also referred to as Dzmitry Bandarenka), imprisoned since December 2010 for his part in peaceful demonstrations, is suffering from deteriotating health. More
Charges Against Writer Meyomesse Reduced; Still Faces Trial Before Military Court
Writer and political activist Enoh Meyomesse have been reduced once again, but he still faces trial before a military tribunal on new charges of complicity in the armed robbery… More
Poet and Translator Guillermo Fernández García Murdered in Toluca
Mexican poet and translator Guillermo Fernández García was found dead at his home in Toluca, Mexico State, on March 31, 2012. More