PEN calls for urgent protection of writers and journalists across the globe on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2018
Oleg Sentsov, Miroslava Breach Velducea, Wael Abbas, Shahidul Alam, Dawit Isaak
On 15 of November, the Day of the Imprisoned Writer PEN International is calling for urgent international action to protect writers and journalists across the globe, who increasingly find themselves targeted – and in some cases murdered – for their peaceful free expression work.
"Authoritarian governments are becoming increasingly emboldened and are targeting writers and journalists in ever greater numbers. Some are paying a heavy price for merely carrying out their work. PEN's annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer invites supporters of free expression across the world to stand in solidarity with our courageous colleagues and to send a message: they will not be silenced, their readers will not be silenced, we will not be silenced, this bond of writers and readers won’t be silenced.” - said Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee.
Each year, PEN highlights the cases of five persecuted writers, be they imprisoned, facing prosecution or otherwise at risk – that are emblematic of the type of threats and attacks faced by writers and journalists around the world. This year, we have also included a case of a murdered journalist, Miroslava Breach Velducea from Mexico, in recognition of the increasingly extreme violations taking place. On this day, our Centres and members worldwide stand in solidarity with their colleagues and call on those responsible to end their persecution.
This year, PEN is highlighting the cases of:
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Dawit Isaak, an award-winning Swedish-Eritrean journalist and writer, has been held incommunicado in Eritrea for over 17 years. His case is emblematic of the dire situation facing independent journalists in the country, many of whom have been subjected to systematic arbitrary arrests, threats, harassment and enforced disappearances over the years. Isaak was one of several journalists arrested during the government’s September 2001 crackdown on independent voices in the press and politics.
Very little is known about his current circumstances. Although Eritrea’s Foreign Minister claimed in a 2016 interview that all of the journalists and politicians arrested in 2001 were still alive - including Isaak - no proof has yet been provided. Similarly, there is little information available concerning the charges against these prisoners; the Foreign Minister has said that those arrested would be tried “when the government decides.” Isaak was awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2017.
Take Action
Send appeal letters to the Eritrean authorities:
Protesting the detention of Dawit Isaak on politically motivated grounds and without known charges or trial since 2001;
Urging the Eritrean authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of Dawit Isaak and other detained journalists and release them immediately and unconditionally;
Expressing concern for Isaak’s health as detainees are believed to have suffered ill treatment, torture and lack of access to medical care, as highlighted by the reported deaths of some of the journalists.
Acknowledging the positive improvements in relations with Ethiopia and calling upon the Eritrean authorities to utilise this opportunity to take urgent and meaningful steps to improve the situation for freedom of expression and human rights for its citizens, in line with its international obligations
Send appeals to:
President: His Excellency, Isaias Afewerki
Office of the President
P.O.Box 257, Asmara, Eritrea
Fax: + 2911 125123
Minister of Justice: Hon. Minister of Justice Fawzia Hashim
P.O.Box 241, Asmara, Eritrea
Fax: + 291 1 126422
Minister of Information: Hon. Yemane Gebremeskel
P.O. Box 242, Asmara, Eritrea , Fax: +291 124 847
Twitter: @hawelti
Background
Crackdown on dissent
Eritrea is one of the worst jailers of writers and dissident voices, earning the dubious honour of the most censored country in the world in 2015. PEN International is aware of at least 17 journalists currently held incommunicado or in circumstances amounting to enforced disappearance, some of whom are believed to have died in the appalling conditions of Eritrean prisons. Their deaths – which have not been officially confirmed – have been attributed to harsh conditions and lack of medical attention.
In September 2001, the Eritrean government embarked upon a campaign to silence its critics, arresting opposition politicians, students and many journalists. In May 2001, 15 dissident members (known as the G-15) of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (the current ruling party in Eritrea) published an open letter in which they denounced the President’s abuse of power and presented his actions as “illegal and unconstitutional”. Following the publication of the letter, as well as interviews and articles related to it, all dissidents were detained, including 11 members of the G15, who were arrested in Asmara on 18 and 19 September 2001 and accused of crimes against national security and sovereignty. Private newspapers were also banned, with at least 10 journalists (including Isaak) arrested in September 2001 and another two in October 2001. It is still unknown whether charges have been brought against them or even if any trial has taken place, and there is little official information of their whereabouts and well-being.
The other journalists detained in September 2001 are: Said Abdelkadir; Yousif Mohammed Ali; Amanuel Asrat; Temesegen Ghebereyesus; Matheos Habteab; Dawit Habtemichael; Medhanie Haile; Fessaha “Joshua” Yohannes; Seyoum Tsehaye.
The authorities have reportedly claimed that the imprisoned journalists have been sent to carry out their national service and that the detentions were necessary for the preservation of national unity or due to the newspaper’s lack of compliance with media licenses. In various media interviews over the years, President Isaias Afewerki has referred to the journalists as “spies” in the pay of the CIA. In June 2016, the Foreign Minister of Eritrea referred to the men arrested in 2001 as “political prisoners.” Political commentators have suggested that the media crackdown was an attempt to stamp out criticism of the Eritrean government’s treatment of students and political dissenters, and of its conflict with Ethiopia.
Dawit Isaak: Journalist, playwright, poet
Isaak (b.1964) is a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, playwright, poet, co-owner of ሰቲት (Setit), and one of the co-founders of Shewit Children’s Theatre. He has been detained incommunicado since September 2001. Author of the book (in verses) ባና፤ ታሪኽ ፍቕሪ--ሙሴን ማናን (1988) (Bana: The Affair of Mussie and Mana), Isaak spent a number of years in Sweden during the Eritrean war of independence (1961-1991) and the border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. He returned to his home country after independence and he was actively engaged in various cultural and literary activities and the media. In addition to his later contributions as a journalist in Setit, Isaak is also widely remembered for the short story “እተን ሰላሳ ሽሕ” (The Thirty Thousand) which was serialized on the national radio in the early days of independence. Isaak was briefly released for a few days in 2005, but was taken back to an undisclosed location shortly afterwards and he has not been heard from since.
Isaak reportedly suffers from a diabetic condition that requires medical supervision. In April 2002, it was reported that Isaak had been hospitalised suffering from injuries sustained during torture. In January 2009, he was reportedly transferred from prison to an Air Force hospital in Asmara as a result of serious illness but was later returned to prison.
In addition to the UNESCO award that he received for his “courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression,” Isaak has also been awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom award, the Kurt-Tucholsky-Prize, and the Anna Politkovskaya award, among others. Isaak is an Honorary Member of PEN American Center, PEN Canada, Finnish PEN, Swedish PEN and PEN Eritrea in Exile and many PEN Centres have campaigned on his behalf.
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Veteran journalist Miroslava Breach Velducea was repeatedly shot in the head outside her home in Chihuahua on 23 March 2017. Breach Velducea, aged 54, was a well-known journalist whose twenty-year career focused on reporting on political and social issues, often covering corruption. Her most recent work exposed connections between local politicians and drug cartels. She worked as a correspondent for the national paper La Jornada, and contributed to several other news outlets. Shortly before her murder, Breach had headed a corruption investigation. The federal Special Prosecutor for Attention to Crimes against Freedom of Expression (Fiscalía Especial para la Libertad de Expresión - FEADLE) launched an investigation into her murder.
In December 2017, the federal police arrested an associate of Los Salazares – a criminal organisation affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel – who they have indicted as the mastermind (intellectual author) of the crime. The authorities are seeking a 70-year prison sentence. An individual thought to be one of the perpetrators (material authors) of the crime was reportedly found dead in Sonora state in December 2017. Other individuals suspected of involvement in her murder remain at large.
The federal authorities are reported to have made it plain in the indictment that Breach Velducea was killed as a direct reprisal for her work as a journalist. Evidence points to a report published in 2016 in which Breach Velducea indicated that the two major political parties had put forward candidates with connections to organised crime for mayoral positions in several municipalities. One such candidate, she reported, was the nephew of the leader of Los Salazares. The revelation had reportedly led to the withdrawal of his candidacy.
Mexico continues to be the most dangerous countries in the world to work as a journalist, with at least 96 writers and print journalists killed since 2004, while another 11 have disappeared. To date in 2018, at least six print journalists have been killed in various states across the Republic. Few of these crimes have ever been satisfactorily resolved, despite the existence of the FEADLE. Where cases have led to prosecution, few bring to justice the masterminds of the attacks. Impunity for such crimes perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence. Writers and journalists continue to face great risk – be they death threats, attacks, or legal prosecution – in order to exercise their right to freedom of expression. In the last year, the economic resources dedicated to the federal protection mechanism for human rights defenders and journalists (Mecanismo de Protección para Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas) have been reduced, and there are concerns that it will have no funds at all between October 2018 and April 2019 leaving hundreds of journalists and human rights defenders unprotected.
Take Action: Share on Facebook, Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #NoImpunity #ImprisonedWriter
Please send appeals to the Mexican authorities:
Welcoming progress made thus far in the investigation of the killing of journalist Miroslava Breach Velducea, but calling on the authorities to bring all those responsible for the crime to justice – both perpetrators and masterminds;
Calling upon them to bring an end to the climate of impunity for crimes against writers and journalists, including the killings of at least 96 writers and print journalists since 2004;
Urging that they ensure that all cases of killings, attacks and threats against writers and journalists are investigated promptly, thoroughly and impartially, ensuring that both the masterminds and perpetrators are brought to justice;
Highlighting the importance of the Federal Protection Mechanism and that it has the financial, human and technical resources necessary to fulfil its mission.
Please send appeals to:
President: Lic. Enrique Peña Nieto,
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos,
Residencia Oficial de los Pinos Casa Miguel Alemán, Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, C.P. 11850, DISTRITO FEDERAL, México
Fax: (+ 52 55) 5093 4901/ 5277 2376
Email: enrique.penanieto@presidencia.gob.mx
Messages can also be sent via the Presidency’s website: http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/contacto/
Salutation: Señor Presidente/ Dear Mr President
Minister of the Interior: Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong Secretaría de Gobernación Bucareli 99, Col. Juárez, Del. Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06600 Ciudad de México, México Twitter: @osoriochong
Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Dear Minister / Sr. Secretario
Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Freedom of Expression (Fiscalía Especial de Atención a Delitos en contra de la Libertad de Expresión – FEADLE): Lic. Ricardo Celso Nájera Herrera
Fiscal Especial, Email: ricardo.najera@pgr.gob.mx
Send copies to the Embassy of Mexico in your own country. Embassy addresses may be found here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/mexico
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Ukrainian writer and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov is serving a 20-year prison sentence on spurious terrorism charges after a grossly unfair trial by a Russian military court, marred by allegations of torture. He is currently being held in the ‘Polar Bear’ penal colony of Labytnangi, in Siberia, thousands of kilometres away from his home and family in Crimea. He recently spent 145 days on hunger strike, calling for the release of all Ukrainian prisoners imprisoned in Russia on politically motivated grounds. He ended his strike on 6 October 2018 as he feared being forced-fed.
PEN International believes that Oleg Sentsov was imprisoned for his opposition to Russia’s occupation and illegal ‘annexation’ of Crimea and calls on the Russian authorities to release him immediately. The organisation further calls on the Russian authorities to respect Oleg Sentsov’s human rights, including the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, and his right to medical attention.
Take Action – Share on Twitter, Facebook and other social media
Please send appeals to the Russian authorities urging them to:
Release Oleg Sentsov immediately;
Respect Oleg Sentsov’s human rights, including the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, and his right to medical attention;
Return all Ukrainian nationals arrested in Crimea and now held in Russia to Ukraine, as required by international law, and free all held solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.
Send appeals to:
President of the Russian Federation:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Ul.Ilyinka, 23
103132 Moscow, Russian Federation
Electronic copies can also be sent to: http://letters.kremlin.ru/letters/send
Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation: Yuri Yakovlevich Chaika, Prosecutor General’s Office, ul. B. Dmitrovka, d.15a, 125993 Moscow GSP- 3, Russian Federation
Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation: Tatiana Nikolaevna Moskalkova
ul. Miasnitskaia, 47, 107084, Moscow, Russian Federation
Send copies to the Embassy of Russia in your own country. Embassy addresses may be found here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/russia
We also encourage you to reach out to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representatives in Russia, calling on them to raise Oleg Sentsov’s case in bilateral fora.
Send a message of support
The amount of support Oleg Sentsov received during his hunger strike was staggering. We are grateful to everyone who sent him messages of solidarity and would like to encourage you to keep writing to him. After this hunger strike, and the toll it has taken on his health, we are sure he needs our support now more than ever.
Please note that all messages need to be written in Russian. If you do not speak Russian, please find a sample message below:
Dear Oleg, I wish you good health and strength and hope that you will soon be released. We are all thinking of you and stand with you in solidarity and respect.
Дорогой Олег, желаю Вам крепкого здоровья и сил, и надеюсь, что Вы скоро будете освобождены. Мы все думаем о Вас и поддерживаем в знак солидарности и уважения.
Address: Oleg Gennadievych Sentsov, Yamalo-Nenetsky autonomous okrug, Labytnangi, Severnaya St, 33, Russian Federation, 629400
629400 Ямало-Ненецкий автономный округ, город Лабытнанги, улица Северная 33, Сенцову Олегу Геннадьевичу, Россия
Background
Ukrainian writer and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov took part in the EuroMaidan demonstrations that toppled former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. He helped deliver food to Ukrainian soldiers following Russia’s occupation and ‘annexation’ of Crimea in March 2014. He said he was arrested by the Russian security services at his apartment in Crimea on 10 May 2014. He reported being subjected to a brutal three-hour ordeal involving beatings, suffocation and threats of sexual assault.
His arrest was officially recorded on 11 May 2014 on the grounds of ‘suspicion of plotting terrorist acts’ and membership of a terrorist group – the Ukrainian right-wing group Pravyi Sektor (Right Sector). He was taken to Russia on 23 May 2014 where he spent over a year in pre-trial detention. He was eventually charged with the establishment of a terrorist group, politically motivated arson and conspiring to blow up a statue of Lenin, all of which he denied.
Following a trial widely condemned outside of Russia, in which a key prosecution witness retracted his statement, saying it had been extracted under torture, Oleg Sentsov was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the military court of Rostov-on-Don on 25 August 2015. His sentence was upheld on appeal on 24 November 2015. In October 2016, the Russian authorities denied a request for extradition to Ukraine on the grounds that he had become a Russian citizen following Russia’s occupation and ‘annexation’ of Crimea.
Oleg Sentsov began a hunger strike on 14 May 2018 to urge the Russian authorities to release all Ukrainian nationals currently imprisoned in Russia on politically motivated grounds. He was taken to intensive care on 15 June 2018. His heart and kidney problems considerably worsened and he was put on a glucose drip. In August 2018, he told his family that he had been denied access to letters and had been kept in ‘an information vacuum’. The prison authorities subsequently granted him access to correspondence following an international outcry. On 5 October 2018, he wrote a letter stating that he felt compelled to end his hunger strike as he feared being forced-fed. He said he had lost 20 kilos and suffered irreparable damages to his health.
Scores of international and regional officials and organisations have called for Oleg Sentsov’s immediate release, including United Nations experts, the European Parliament and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Svetlana Alexievitch, Tom Stoppard, Margaret Atwood, Ian Rankin, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Stephen Fry and Yann Martel are amongst those who most recently joined PEN and voiced their solidarity with Oleg Sentsov.
Oleg Sentsov is the winner of the 2017 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the 2018 European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Freedom of expression in Russia and occupied Crimea
For more information about the state of freedom of expression in Russia, please see PEN International, PEN Moscow and St Petersburg PEN’s joint report entitled Russia’s Strident Stifling of Free Speech 2012-2018. The report, published in October 2018 in both English and Russian, shows how Russia’s array of repressive laws severely restricts the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and information. It describes the deterioration of media freedom through the Russian authorities’ control of the media landscape and the immense pressure faced by independent journalists to not contradict the official line or provide coverage of critical viewpoints. It analyses the prosecution and conviction of several people on politically motivated grounds. It further shows how artistic freedom and literature are under threat.
For more information about freedom of expression in occupied Crimea, please see PEN International’s report Freedom of Expression in Post–Euromaidan Ukraine: External Aggression and Internal Challenges, published in September 2017 in English. PEN International continues to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
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Update - 15 November 2018
PEN International welcomes the news that Shahidul Alam was granted bail today. PEN continues to call for the case against Alam to be dropped.
"While it is a relief to see the court in Dhaka granting bail to Shahidul Alam, it is by no means certain that he is free. The government is still determined to appeal in its ill-conceived pursuit of Shahidul on ridiculous charges under Bangladesh’s draconian laws. Those charges must be dropped immediately and Shahidul should be released unconditionally and his freedoms restored - freedoms which should never have been taken away," said Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee.
Award-winning photographer, writer and activist - Shahidul Alam - was taken from his home in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, by plainclothes police officers on the night of 5 August 2018. Shortly before his arrest, Alam had given an interview to the news agency Al Jazeera in which he was critical of the government’s handling of student-led protests - which had been calling for better road safety laws after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus on 29 July. The government responded to the protests by firing teargas and rubber bullets into the crowds of protestors, injuring hundreds.
On 6 August, Alam was brought before a lower court in Dhaka and accused of “making provocative comments”, and “giving false information” to the media under Section 57 of Bangladesh’s draconian Information Communications Technology Act (ICT Act). Section 57 has been widely criticised for restricting freedom of expression and has led to scores of arrests.
Alam publicly claimed he was tortured during his detention. He remained in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for 11 September, during which his application for bail was denied. Following this denial, Bangladesh’s High Court imposed a one-week deadline on the government to explain why Alam was being held indefinitely and without bail, which the government has not honoured.
If convicted, 63-year old Alam faces a minimum of 7 years and a maximum of 14 years in prison. Friends and family who have visited him have raised concerns for his deteriorating health. PEN International believes that Alam is being held solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Take Action: Share on Facebook, Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #freeshahidulalam #ImprisonedWriter
Please send appeals:
Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Shahidul Alam;
Expressing serious concern for Shahidul Alam’s well-being and urging that he is provided with adequate medical care and treatment and not subjected to ill-treatment while in custody;
Calling for an independent investigation into Shahidul Alam’s allegations of torture and for those found responsible to be held to account;
Expressing concerns over the continued application of section 57 of the ICT Act despite repeated commitments of the Bangladeshi government to repeal this provision;
Reminding the authorities of their obligations to secure the right to freedom of expression including peaceful criticism of political authorities under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bangladesh is a state party.
Appeals to:
Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina,
Old Sangsad Bhaban,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Fax: +880-2-8113-244; +880-2-8111-015
Email: info@pmo.gov.bd
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
Minister of Home Affairs: Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Fax: +880 2 913 3498, Tel: +880 2 957 4800, Email: minister@mha.gov.bd
Saluation: Honourable Home Minister
Inspector General of Police: Mohammad Javed Patwary, Police Headquarters, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Fax: +880 2 712 5840, Tel: +880 2 951 4444; +880 2 951 4445, Email: ig@police.gov.bd
Salutation: Dear Inspector General
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PEN International strongly condemns the continued arbitrary detention of Wael Abbas, a prominent Egyptian writer and political activist, who is widely known for documenting abuses by the Egyptian security forces. In May 2018, his house was raided by armed police and he was blindfolded and arrested. He is facing charges of “joining a terrorist group in realizing its objectives”, “spreading false news” and “using the internet to propagate a terrorist group’s ideology”. Since his arrest on 24 May 2018, Abbas’s pre-trial detention has been regularly extended by the Egyptian judiciary. More recently on 16 October 2018, the Cairo Criminal Court has renewed his detention for a further 45 days for investigation.
PEN International believes that the charges against Abbas are related to his peaceful activism and writings critical of the Egyptian government. PEN International calls for his immediate and unconditional release and for all charges against him to be dropped. PEN also calls on the Egyptian authorities to free all those held solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, including journalistic or human rights work.
Take Action: Share on Facebook, Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #ImprisonedWriter
Send appeals to the Egyptian authorities:
Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of blogger and activist, Wael Abbas;
Urging them to drop all charges against Abbas and stop persecuting him for his peaceful free expression work;
Urging them to ensure that the right to freedom of expression in Egypt is fully respected in law and practice in accordance with the Egyptian Constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a state party.
Please send appeals to:
President: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,
Office of the President,
Al-Ittihadia Palace, Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, Fax: +202 2 391 1441
Email: p.spokesman@op.gov.eg Moh_moussa@op.gov.eg
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice: Mohamed Hossam Abdel Rahim, Ministry of Justice, Lazoghly Sq., Fax: +202 2 795 8103, Email: mjustice@moj.gov.eg Salutation: Dear Minister
Minister of Interior: Mohamed Tawfiq, Ministry of Interior, Fifth Settelment, New Cairo, Egypt, Fax: +202 2794 5529, Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg, Salutation: Dear Minister
Please send your letters via the Embassy of the Egypt in your country. Addresses may be found here.
Solidarity Consider adopting Wael Abbas as an Honorary Member of your Centre. Details of how to campaign for honorary members may be found in the Writers in Prison Committee Handbook, available here.
Background
Publications and activism by Wael Abbas
Wael Abbas, born 14 November 1974, is a well-known blogger and pro-democracy activist. In his blog, created in 2004, Abbas posted news related to human rights violations, including corruption and police brutality. In particular, he posted a video in 2006 showing police torture of an individual, which led to the imprisonment of a police officer, Captain Islam Nabih. Abbas is the author of many books, including Abdel Nasser and minorities and a collection of Articles 2006 – 2013 which ask the American administration to stop their support of former president Hosni Mubarak, and more recently “another person” which was published in 2018. He is the recipient of the 2007 Knight International Award for Journalistic Excellence, and Human Rights Watch's Hellman/Hammett Award 2006. He also won the Egyptians Against Corruption Award 2005/2006. In 2007 Abbas was named Middle East Person of the Year by CNN and was considered one of the Most Influential People of 2006 by the BBC.
Arrest and charges
Due to his peaceful activities, Abbas has been harassed and subjected to violations for several years. His social media accounts were regularly suspended. Abbas' arrest comes in the context of a new crackdown on political opponents and activists in Egypt. He has been arbitrarily detained since his arrest in May 2018, when several armed agents from the Egyptian security service raided his home, blind-folded him and took him to an undisclosed location. During the raid, the agents also confiscated his electronic devices and other personal belongings, including cameras, hard disks, mobile phones, laptops and books. On 28 May 2018, Abbas was questioned for six hours by Egypt’s Supreme Security Prosecution which has accused him of “joining a terrorist group in realizing its objectives”, “spreading false news” and “using internet to propagate a terrorist group’s ideology”. According to reports, Abbas’s file has been included in the judicial case No. 621 of 2018 as well as case No. 441 of 2018 which also includes journalists and activists such as Mostafa al-Asar, Hassan al-Banna and Ezzat Ghoneim who is a lawyer and the head of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms. Abbas remains detained at Tora prison pending the investigation. On 25 September 2018, the the Cairo Criminal Court refused Abbas’ appeal against regular renewal of his detention.
PEN’s freedom of expression work on Egypt
The situation for freedom of expression and opinion in Egypt has deteriorated sharply since President al-Sisi came to power in 2014. Many journalists and writers have been arrested or forced to flee the country. PEN has been monitoring many cases of writers and journalists who have been jailed solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, including during journalistic or human rights work.
PEN passed a Resolution on Egypt at its 82nd World Congress in 2016 and another Resolution was adopted at its 84th Congress in 2018. In both, PEN noted with concern the rise in the number of writers and journalists who have been detained or imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly (click here to read more about PEN International’s work on Egypt).
Background
In 2017, the PEN International global community campaigned on the cases of Cesario Alejandro and Félix Padilla Figueroa facing ongoing prosecution in Honduras; blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh who was serving a 10-year prison sentence in Viet Nam; award-winning cartoonist and activist Ramón Esono Ebalé who was detained in Equatorial Guinea; human rights defender, blogger, and lawyer Razan Zaitouneh disappeared in Syria; poet and artist Zehra Doğan imprisoned in Turkey and the Palestinian poet, Dareen Tatour.
Since then Dareen Tatour, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh and Ramón Esono Ebalé have all been released from prison; we thank all those who have campaigned with us on these cases.
Arundhati Roy writes to Shahidul Alam
Tom Stoppard writes to Oleg Sentsov
David Lagercrantz writes to Dawit Isaak
Khaled Hosseini writes to Wael Abbas