Thanks to all who will be attending ‘Writing Freedom: Behrouz Boochani in conversation’: it was a fully booked out event. We look forward to seeing you soon.
For those who missed it, Behrouz Boochani will be at Curtin Centre Human Rights Education for the event ‘Reflections on Activism with Behrouz Boochani’ (16NOV, 4-6PM). Book here: https://events.humanitix.com/reflections-on-activism-behrouz-boochani
Day Of the Imprisoned Writer
(Pictured L to R: María Cristina Garrido, Go Sherab Gyatso, Iryna Danylovych, Soulaiman Raissouni)
Day of the Imprisoned Writer is observed annually on November 15, raising awareness about censorship, harassment, and persecution of writers and journalists worldwide. Censorship is a growing problem today, with many government agencies spying on their citizens, especially anti-vocal government critics, whistleblowers, and political activists. In some countries, freedom of the press is non-existent, and independent journalism results in arbitrary detention. Human rights organizations and groups dedicated to protecting free speech distribute banned materials in some parts of the world. They also invite advocates, writers, and reporters to discuss the state of independent journalism and free speech.
The writers we will be taking action for are María Cristina Garrido, Go Sherab Gyatso, Iryna Danylovych, Soulaiman Raissouni)
María Cristina Garrido
On March 10, 2022, Cuban 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’.
This verdict came in the wake of her arrest on July 12, 2021, when she joined thousands of fellow Cubans, including her sister, in the peaceful protests the swept the country on July 11. These demonstrations aimed to address the erosion of their basic rights, aggravated by the government’s management of the COVID-19 crisis and the deteriorating economy.
For more information on Garrido’s case and how you can help, see the following document.
Go Sherab Gyatso
A prominent Tibetan writer, educator and public intellectual, Go Sherab Gyatso, known as Gosher, 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 (PRC) security services on 26 October 2020, in the Sichuan province’s city of Chengdu on suspicion of inciting secession. He was subsequently transferred to the Tibetan Autonomous Region where he was formally charged on 3 February 2021.
For more information on Gyatso’s case and how you can help, see the following document:
Iryna Danylovych
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, and has previously been harassed on account of her journalistic reporting and trade union activities.
For more on Danylovych’s case and how you can support, see the following document:
Soulaiman Raissouni
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.
On May 22, 2020, Moroccan police arrested Raissouni on charges of ‘sexual assault’ and ‘enforced confinement.’ He vehemently denied these allegations, asserting they were retaliatory and politically motivated.
Raissouni endured nearly a year of arbitrary pre-trial detention before the Casablanca Court of Appeal sentenced him on July 9, 2021 to five years in prison, and imposed a fine of 100,000 Moroccan Dirhams (equivalent to approximately $10,000).
For more on Raissouni’s case and how you can help, see the following document:
PEN Congress 2023
Committee member Frances An shares her experience at PEN Congress 2023 below. She returned to Perth with a renewed sense of determination to uphold PEN’s mission of defending freedom of expression.
penperth.com 