Advocacy & Aid

“Writers are targeted because words travel. A poem can cross a border its author cannot. A report can outlive the censor who tried to bury it. Every action taken in support of a prisoner and every name said out loud is an act of defiance against the silence governments are counting on”. Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International Writers in Prison Committee 

15 November: Every year on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, PEN International stands with writers who are jailed, silenced or disappeared for their words. This year, from November 15 to December 10, we are asking you to stand with five of them: Pham Doan Trang (Vietnam), Henry Constantín Ferreiro (Cuba), Ahmed Mansoor (United Arab Emirates), Vacłaŭ Areška (Belarus) and Innocent Bahati (Rwanda).

The governments holding them are counting on silence. Let’s give them noise.

Meet the five. Then take action for our imprisoned writers.

Each action takes minutes. Together, they make it harder for governments to look away. Write a message, send an appeal, share a name, and tell us what you do and what responses you receive.

#DayoftheImprisonedWriter #PhamDoanTrang #HenryConstantín #AhmedMansoor #VacłaŭAreška #InnocentBahati

• Note to editors:
  For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International: sabrina.tucci@pen-international.org

Ahmed Mansoor

Emirati poet, blogger and human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor has been imprisoned since March 20, 2017 for his peaceful expression. He is serving multiple prison terms totalling 25 years on national security charges that rely on vaguely worded anti-terrorism provisions and vaguely defined allegations. He was denied the right to a fair trial and has reportedly been held in an isolation ward in Al-Sadr prison in Abu Dhabi, in a cell with no bed, no drinking water and no access to a shower – in contravention of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoner. These conditions – which amount to torture and ill-treatment – have significantly impacted his health. Prison authorities have repeatedly denied him access to family visits. PEN International considers his arrest and ongoing imprisonment, arbitrary and in retaliation for his defence of human rights and advocacy for political reform. It reiterates its calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Take action for Ahmed.

Henry Constantín Ferreiro

Journalist, writer and photographer Henry Constantín Ferreiro, founder and director of independent media outlet La Hora de Cuba, has been detained since September 16 2026 and remains in pre-trial detention. His imprisonment reflects the persistent persecution of those practising independent journalism and artivism, and those expressing critical views against the state in Cuba. PEN International calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Pending his release, the authorities must guarantee his physical and psychological integrity, access to medical care, regular communication with his family, and the effective exercise of his rights to a defence.

Take action for Henry.

Innocent Bahati

Rwandan poet Innocent Bahati has been missing since February 7 2021, after he reportedly went to a hotel in Nyanza district, in the Southern Province of Rwanda, for a meeting with someone unknown to his friends or family. He did not return to his home in the capital, Kigali, as expected. PEN International believes his disappearance is related to his poetry which was critical of state policies. The Rwandan authorities must fully investigate his disappearance and publicly account for his whereabouts or fate.

Take action for Innocent.

Pham Doan Trang

Author, journalist and pro-democracy activist Pham Doan Trang has been imprisoned since October 2020 and is serving a nine-year sentence for allegedly ‘spreading propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’. She was detained after publishing an investigative report on a deadly police raid in Dong Tam in January 2020. PEN International calls for her immediate and unconditional release and urges the Vietnamese authorities to guarantee her well-being while she remains imprisoned.

Take action for Pham.

Vacłaŭ Areška

Editor, political scientist, and trade union activist Vacłaŭ Areška is serving an eight-year prison sentence in Belarus on spurious grounds. He reportedly lost his eyesight in detention due to being denied access to adequate healthcare. He must be freed immediately and unconditionally. Pending his release, he must be urgently granted adequate healthcare as well as reasonable prison accommodation.

Take action for Vacłaŭ Areška.