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PRIORITY CASES
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China: Liu Xiaobo
 A renowned literary critic, writer, and political activist; former President and co-founder of the Independent Chinese PEN Center; sentenced to 11 years in prison and two years' deprivation of political rights for "inciting subversion of state power >> More
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China: Shi Tao
 Journalist and poet arrested for posting meeting notes about China's treatment of the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Shi is serving a 10-year prison sentence. >> More
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China: Tsering Woeser
 Acclaimed Tibetan writer and poet whose critical writings on China's policy towards Tibet have led to severe restrictions on her ability to write and publish in mainland China, where she is under house arrest. >> More
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China: Yang Tongyan
 Dissident writer serving a 12-year sentence on charges of "subversion of state power." >> More
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China/Tibet Autonomous Region: Dolma Kyab
 A writer and middle-school teacher arrested in Lhasa and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for "endangering state security.” >> More
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China/Uighur Autonomous Region: Nurmuhemmet Yasin
 An award-winning freelance Uighur writer known for his numerous short stories, essays, and three volumes of poetry; arrested for writing the short story "Wild Pigeon" ("Yawa Kepter") and sentenced to 10 years in prison. >> More
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Myanmar: Aung Than & Zeya Aung
 Two poets who were arrested near the Thai-Burmese border town of Myawaddy and charged with “associating with outlawed organizations” and “illegally crossing an international boundary.” >> More
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Myanmar (Burma): Nay Phone Latt
 Prominent Burmese blogger and political dissident arrested January 29, 2008, for reporting on the military crackdown in Burma in 2007. >> More
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Myanmar (Burma): Zaw Thet Htwe
 Respected journalist and political advocate, arrested June 13, 2008, for his work on Cyclone Nargis. >> More
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Vietnam: Nguyen Xuan Nghia
 Poet, journalist, essayist, and novelist serving a six-year sentence for poetry, short stories, and articles he wrote in 2007 until his arrest in 2008. >> More
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RELEASED
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The following writers have been released from imprisonment but may continue to face threats and harassment following their releases.
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China: Huang Jinqiu
 An Internet journalist sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and four years' deprivation of political rights for “organizing, planning, and carrying out subversive activities” and for writing “reactionary” articles on the Internet. >> More
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Myanmar (Burma): Zargana
 Burmese poet, opposition activist, and leading comedian arrested June 4, 2008, and recently was among the first released as part of a widespread general amnesty on October 12, 2011. >> More
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Vietnam: Tran Khai Thanh Thuy
 Renowned novelist, poet, and essayist recently exiled to the United States and forced to leave behind her husband as well as all her personal items, including poetry written in prison. >> More
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Myanmar (Burma): Aung San Suu Kyi
 Writer and pro-democracy activist, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, first detained in July 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained under some form of detention, usually house arrest, for the majority of the past 20 years. >> More
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Myanmar (Burma): Saw Wei
 Burmese poet and performance artist well known for his romantic poetry, arrested January 2, 2008, who was jailed for nearly two and a half years for his subtly-critical poem "Valentine's Day." >> More
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Myanmar: Aung Myint
 A journalist, poet, and head of the information department of the National League for Democracy (NLD). >> More
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Vietnam: Nguyen Vu Binh
 A former journalist for the Communist Party newspaper Tap Chi Cong, he was one of Vietnam's first cyberdissidents who spread his pro-democracy message over the Internet. >> More
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China: Liu Jingsheng
 A peaceful opposition activist and a former co-editor of Tansuo (Explorations), a journal he founded in the late 1970s along with Wei Jingsheng. >> More
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Tibet Autonomous Region: Ven. Ngawang Phulchung
 Tibetan monk, human-rights activist, and leader of the Drepung printing group sentenced to 19 years' imprisonment for promoting a democratic system in an independent Tibet. >> More
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Vietnam: Lê Chi Quang
 A lawyer and computer teacher who has written several essays criticizing the Vietnamese government. >> More
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China/Uighur Autonomous Region: Tohti Tunyaz
 Ethnic Uighur historian and writer condemned to 11 years in prison with an additional two years' deprivation of political rights for researching his people's history. >> More
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