The Day of the Imprisoned Writer is an annual, international day intended to recognize and support writers who resist repression of the basic human right to freedom of expression and who stand up to attacks made against their right to impart information. This day is observed each year on November 15. It was started in 1981 by PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee.
In addition to increasing the public's awareness of persecuted writers in general, PEN uses the Day of the Imprisoned Writer to direct attention to several specific persecuted or imprisoned writers and their individual circumstances. Each of the selected writers is from a different part of the world, and each case represents circumstances of repression that occur when governments or other entities in power feel threatened by what writers have written. On this day, the general public is encouraged to take action—in the form of donations and letters of appeal—on behalf of the selected writers.
The day also serves to commemorate all of the writers killed since the previous year's Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Between November 15, 2007, and November 15, 2008, at least 39 writers from around the world were killed in circumstances that appeared to be related to their professions.
Highlighted writers from past observances
2013 Kunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang; internet writer and website editor, China - Tibet Dina Meza; human rights defender and journalist, Honduras Zahra Rahnavard; author and political activist, Iran Rodney Sieh; newspaper founder, publisher and editor-in-chief, Liberia Fazıl Say; writer, composer and musician, Turkey
2012 Muharrem Erbey; human rights lawyer and writer, Turkey Shiva Nazar Ahari; journalist, activist and blogger; Iran Ericson Acosta, poet, songwriter and activist, Philippines Eskinder Nega; journalist and blogger, Ethiopia Regina Martínez; journalist, Mexico
2011 Abduljalil al-Singace; blogger and human rights defender, Bahrain Reeyot Alemu; opposition journalist, Ethiopia Nedim Sener and Ahmet Şık; writers in prison, Turkey Susana Chavez Castillo; poet and human rights defender, Mexico Tashi Rabten (pen-name Te’urang); dissident writer, Tibet
2010 Robert Mintya; newspaper editor, Cameroon Hossein Derakhshan; blogger, Iran Bladimir Antuna (full name José Bladimir Antuna García); crime reporter, Mexico Tal Al-Mallouhi; blogger and poet, Syria Dilmurod Saidov; journalist, Uzbekistan
2009 Lapiro De Mbanga; singer-songwriter, Cameroon Liu Xiaobo; dissident writer, China Maziar Bahari; journalist, editor, playwright and film-maker, Iran Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Ávila; anthropologist, author and activist, Mexico Natalia Estemirova; journalist and human rights defender, Russia
2008 Eynullah Fatullayev; journalist, Azerbaijan Melissa Rocío Patiño Hinostroza; student and poet, Peru Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand; journalist, Iran Tsering Woeser; writer and poet, China Writers, Cast and Crew of The Crocodile of Zambezi; Zimbabwe
2007 Normando Hernanez Gonzalez; journalist, Cuba Jamshid Karimov; journalist, Ouzbekistan Fatou Jaw Manneh; journalist, Gambia Yaghoub Yadali; novelist, Iran Zargana Maung Thura; poet and comedian, Burma
2006 Hrant Dink; newspaper editor, Turkey Wesenseged Gebrekidan; journalist, Ethiopia Lydia Cacho; writer, Mexico Yang Xiaoqing; internet journalist, China
2005 Orhan Pamuk; writer, Turkey Shi Tao; poet and activist, China Dr. Roya Toloui; writer and women’s rights activist, Iran Paul Kamara; journalist, Sierra Leone Victor Rolando Arroyo; journalist, Cuba
2004 Amir-Abbas Fakhravar; writer, Iran Rakhim Esenov; writer, Turkmenistan Guy-André Kieffer; journalist, Ivory Coast Roberto Javier Mora García, Francisco Ortiz Franco, and Francisco Arratia Saldierna; journalists, murdered in Mexico
See also Reporters Without Borders
References
External links PEN American Center PEN Canada English PEN