Writers at Risk Database
PEN America champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. The bedrock work of the global PEN network is advocacy and assistance on behalf of individuals persecuted for their use of the written word or other forms of expression. PEN America’s Writers at Risk Database is a searchable catalog of the writers, journalists, academics, public intellectuals and others under threat around the world. The database includes historical cases PEN America has worked on from 1987 onwards; non-active cases are color-coded black. PEN America is grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for support that enabled the establishment of the Writers at Risk Database and to PEN International for their collaboration in assembling this database.
Filters
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Status
DetainedAbliz Ömer
Editor, PublisherChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificÖmer, a retired editor-in-chief, was arrested and detained in a sweep of staff at Uyghur-run Kashgar Publishing House in 2017 after the Chinese government declared that its books contained improper political content.
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ImprisonedAblet Abdureshid Berqi
Journalist, Literary writer, Poet, ScholarChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificBerqi, an author, teacher, and poet, has been writing since 1988. His work was published in numerous newspapers and magazines and his collection of poems, including “Girl’s Season,” essays and novels are widely acclaimed. Berqi was detained in 2017 for articles he wrote about economic awareness in Xinjiang. In 2020,…
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ImprisonedNurmuhemmet Yasin
Literary writer, PoetChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificAward-winning Uyghur author and poet Yasin was imprisoned in February 2005 on charges of ‘inciting separatism’ for his poem “Wild Pigeon,” an allegory about the son of a pigeon king who is trapped and caged by humans while on a mission to find a new home for his flock.
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DetainedAbdulqadir Jalaleddin
Poet, ScholarChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificAbduqadir Jalaleddin is a renowned poet, translator, scholar of contemporary Uyghur literature, and professor at Xinjiang Normal University. He was arrested from his home in early 2018. Authorities provided no reason for his arrest and have not brought public charges against him. He is believed to be currently held in…
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ImprisonedShoret Nijat
Online Commentator, ScholarChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificNijat, a student of Ilham Tohti, was arrested for his involvement with Tohti’s website Uyghurbiz, which promotes mutual ethnic understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. He was sentenced in a 2014 secret trial and has been held incommunicado since 2018.
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ImprisonedQasim Sidiq
Poet, Scholar, Singer/SongwriterChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificQasim Sidiq was detained by authorities in March 2017, after which he disappeared. Nearly four years later his detention was confirmed. According to a Radio Free Asia source, Sidiq’s song lyrics from more than 15 years ago were used as “evidence” to support charges of “ethnic hatred” and a sentence…
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ImprisonedAblajan Awut Ayup
Creative artist, Singer/SongwriterChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificAward-winning musician Ablajan is known for promoting Uyghur culture and identity while building a bridge with Han Chinese culture through his bilingual songs. His pop-influenced music drawing on Uyghur cultural traditions has been popular among youth and children. He was arrested and detained in February 2018. In December 2022, information…
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ImprisonedRahile Dawut
Literary writer, ScholarChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificDawut, whose academic research focuses on Uyghur folklore and Islamic sacred sites across Xinjiang, was reportedly last heard from in December 2017. She was tried in 2018 on “splittism” charges and convicted. She later appealed the court’s decision but the appeal was rejected. In September 2023, it was confirmed that…
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ImprisonedQurban Mamut
Journalist, PoetChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificMamut, who had worked with Uyghur-run cultural publications for over four decades, disappeared in 2017 after visiting his exiled son in the United States. Authorities told Mamut’s son that he had been taken to a re-education camp, where he is unlikely to face trial. In March 2022, his family learned…
Writers at Risk Database Key:
STATUS box that is red: Active case
STATUS box that is black: Inactive case
Funder
PEN America is deeply grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for its generous support of the Freedom to Write Index and Writers at Risk Database.
Partner
PEN America thanks the PEN International Secretariat and the Writers in Prison Committee for their extensive contributions to and collaboration on compiling the cases included in this database.