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HONORARY MEMBERS
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PEN American Center is seriously concerned for the safety of the following imprisoned or persecuted writers. It is committed to pressing these cases until the writer is freed, exonerated, or safe from further threats.
International pressure is the single most critical factor in the fate of writers imprisoned or harassed around the world. PEN urges those concerned to assist the following writers by sending clear, politely worded messages of protest to the foreign governments involved. Sample letters and all relevant contact information are included with each writer's page.
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IN MEMORIAM
Tunisia: Zouhair Yahyaoui
 PEN mourns the passing of Zouhair Yahyaoui. According to his family, he died of a heart attack on Sunday, March 13, 2005. >> More
Turkey: Hrant Dink
 PEN is appalled by the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, who was shot dead outside his office in Istanbul on January 19, 2007. >> More |
>> Please take immediate action on behalf of the following Honorary Members <<
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China: Huang Jinqiu
 An Internet journalist sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and four years' deprivation of civil rights for “organizing, planning and carrying out subversive activities” and for writing “reactionary” articles on the Internet. >> More
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China: Shi Tao
 Journalist and poet arrested for posting meeting notes about China's Propaganda Department's treatment of the 15th anniversary of...
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Cuba: Dr. José Luis García Paneque
 Dr. José Luis García Paneque is an independent journalist and librarian. He is also a medical doctor and worked as a surgeon at the Ernesto “Che” Guevara hospital until he was dismissed for his criticism of government policies. He was arrested in 2003 as part of a crackdown throughout Cuba on independent presses and alleged dissidents. >> More
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Cuba: Léster Luis González Pentón
 Léster Luis González Pentón is an independent journalist and political activist. The youngest of the Cuban 75, he is currently being held at the Prisión Penitencial “La Pendiente,” in Santa Clara in the state of Villa Clara, Cuba. > More
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Cuba: Normando Hernández González
 A journalist sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment under Article 91 of the Cuban Criminal Code for reporting on the conditions of state-run services in Cuba and for criticizing the government’s management of issues such as tourism, agriculture, fishing, and cultural affairs. >> More
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Egypt: Kareem Amer
 A blogger and a former al-Azhyar University student sentenced to four years in prison on February 22, 2007 on charges of "disparaging Islam" and "defaming the Egyptian president" in articles published online. >> More
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Eritrea: Multiple Journalists
 Members of the Eritrean independent press arrested in the aftermath of the closure of eight private newspapers on September 18, 2001; all continue to be imprisoned without charge, and nine began a hunger strike on March 31, 2002, to protest their detention. >> 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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Russia: Stanislav Dmitrievsky
 Executive Director of the Russian- Chechen Friendship Society and Editor- in-Chief of Pravo-zashchita
(Rights Defense); convicted...
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Syria: Aref Dalila
 A Syrian writer and former professor serving a prison sentence after being arrested with nine other members of the Civil Society Movement during the Damascus Spring. All other nine activists arrested with Dr. Dalila have been freed in the past few years, and only Dr. Dalila now remains in detention.>> More
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Syria: Michel Kilo
 A writer and journalist serving a three-year prison sentence, which was handed down by the Damascus Criminal Court on charges of “spreading false news, weakening national feeling and inciting sectarian sentiments.” >> More
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Tibet Autonomous Region: Dolma Kyab
 Writer and middle school teacher arrested in Lhasa and charged with "endangering state security.” On September 16...
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Turkey: Ragip Zarakolu
 Writer and publisher who founded Belge Publishing House, a focus for censorship since its inception; charges against him have resulted in imprisonment, the confiscation and destruction of books, and the imposition of heavy fines; currently being tried under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. >> More
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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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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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Uzbekistan: Muhammad Bekjanov
 Journalist sentenced to 15 years in prison for his alleged involvement in the Uzbek opposition movement; he suffers from tuberculosis, which he contracted in prison. >> More
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Uzbekistan: Dzamshid Karimov
 Journalist who has covered human rights abuses and written articles critical of government; held in psychiatric detention for over a year.
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Uzbekistan: Mamadali Mahmudov
 Writer sentenced to 14 years in prison for his alleged involvement in the Uzbek opposition movement; testified to having been tortured under interrogation, including beatings, electric shock, and threat of rape of female family members; due for release in 2013. >> More
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Uzbekistan: Yusif Ruzimuradov
 Journalist sentenced to eight years in prison for his alleged involvement in the Uzbek opposition movement; violent threats were made against members of his family and torture and psychological incentives were used to obtain his "confession." >> More
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RELEASED!
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The following Honorary Members were released from prison, but may still be suffering persecution. In some cases, the writers have gone into exile, but could face grave consequences if they ever return to their home countries. Others remain subject to government harassment in the exercise of their professions as writers. |
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Algeria: Mohammed Benchicou
 The former director of Le Matin, a private daily newspaper that maintained an independent, critical editorial line toward the Algerian government. >> 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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Cuba: Bernardo Arévalo Padrón
 A journalist and director of Linea Sur Press, a small, privately run and independent press agency based in Cienfuegos. >> More
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Cuba: Raúl Rivero
 Among the first generation of journalists trained at Havana University's School of Journalism after the 1959 revolution, and co-founder of the satirical magazine Caimán Barbudo. >> More
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Iran: Hojjatoleslam Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari
 A researcher, journalist, cleric, director of the Ali Shariati Research Center, and contributing editor of the now-banned newspaper Iran-e Farda (The Iran of Tomorrow ). >> More
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Iran: Akbar Ganji
 Iran's leading investigative journalist and author of the best-selling book Dungeon of Ghosts, a collection of Ganji's newspaper articles published in early 2000. >> More
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Iran: Ramin Jahanbegloo
 The author of over 20 books in Persian, English, and French on philosophy and current affairs in Iran. >> More
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Iran: Siamak Pourzand
 A journalist and film critic who was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of "undermining state security through his links with monarchists and counter-revolutionaries." >> 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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Saudi Arabia: Ali Al-Domaini
 A poet, writer, and political activist whose publications include three collections of poetry and one novel in Arabic. >> 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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Tunisia: Mohammed Abbou
 An Internet writer, lawyer, and human rights activist, arrested on March 1, 2005, for an article published on the Internet nine months earlier that denounced torture in Tunisia. >> More
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Uzbekistan: Ruslan Sharipov
 A correspondent for the Russian press agency Prima and president of the Independent Journalists Association of Uzbekistan. >> 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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Vietnam: Nguyen Vu Binh
 A former journalist for the Communist Party newspaper Tap Chi Cong, he was one of Vietnam's first "cyber dissidents" who spread his pro-democracy message over the Internet. >> More
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Iran: Nasser Zarafshan
 Author, translator, and attorney sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and 70 lashes for his criticism of the official investigation carried out into the murders of five Iranian intellectuals and writers in 1998 in Tehran. >> More
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