PEN draws attention to imprisoned writers

The authors' association PEN Centre Germany, along with more than 140 other branches of the organization worldwide, called for the immediate release of imprisoned writers on Friday, reported dpa.

Marking the annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer, the association highlighted the cases of Alaa Abd El-Fattah from Egypt, Jimmy Lai from Hong Kong, Kaciaryna Andrejeva from Belarus, and José Rubén Zamora Marroquín from Guatemala, whose imprisonments it described as attacks on freedom of speech and human rights.

Abd El-Fattah, a Egyptian-British author and activist, continues to suffer in prison under extreme conditions, including torture and denial of medical care, despite having served his five-year sentence, according to the association.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Lai, a journalist and founder of the defunct newspaper Apple Daily, has been in solitary confinement in Hong Kong for four years. His advocacy for democracy could lead to a life sentence, it said.

Kaciaryna Andrejeva, a Belarusian journalist and poet, was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony on charges of treason after participating in a peaceful demonstration.

In Guatemala, José Rubén Zamora Marroquín, founder of the investigative newspaper elPeriódico, was imprisoned for exposing government corruption. After nearly two years behind bars, he has been under house arrest since mid-October.

Najem Wali, vice-president of PEN Centre Germany, said that speaking out for these individuals shows their voices cannot be silenced.

The so-called Day of the Imprisoned Writer on November 15 was established in 1960 by the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International.

PEN stands for Poets, Essayists, Novelists. The international association was founded in London in 1921 and is now active in 100 countries. The umbrella organization is dedicated to protecting the "unhindered exchange of ideas" and safeguarding freedom of expression.