As every year, on November 15, the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, PEN calls for urgent international action to protect writers and journalists across the globe, who increasingly find themselves targeted for peaceful dissent.
This year, PEN calls for urgent international action on behalf of Iryna Danylovych, Go Sherab, Soulaiman Raissouni and María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez, and ensure that they and their families feel solidarity and support.
TAKE ACTION
How can you get involved? Whether you send a letter of solidarity to the imprisoned writer, write an appeal to their governments and embassies, or share on social media with #ImprisonedWriter, your voice makes a difference. To help, use these four toolkits:
María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez
Situation: imprisoned in Cuba
Poet and activist María Cristina Garrido Rodríguez received a seven-year prison sentence on charges of ‘public disorder,’ ‘assault’, ‘instigation to commit a crime’, ‘contempt,’ and ‘resistance’….more.
Go Sherab Gyatso
Situation: imprisoned in China
A prominent Tibetan writer, educator and public intellectual, Go Sherab Gyatso, is serving a 10-year prison sentence reportedly imposed following a secret trial held in late 2021. He was detained by People’s Republic of China security services in 2020 on suspicion of inciting secession….more.
Iryna Danylovych
Situation: imprisoned in the Russian Federation
Iryna Danylovych is a human rights defender, citizen journalist and medical professional, who exposed problems in the Crimean health care system. She collaborated with independent media outlets reporting on politically motivated trials in occupied Crimea….more.
Soulaiman Raissouni
Situation: imprisoned in Morocco
Soulaiman Raissouni is a prominent Moroccan journalist and the former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct opposition newspaper Akhbar al-Youm. He gained recognition for his editorials critical of the Moroccan authorities….more.
