Articles by PEN International
Ken Saro-Wiwa trial proceedings to resume without adequate legal defense
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 7 June, 5 May, 21 April, 22 March, 24, 17, 8, 6 February, 20, 11 January 1995** The trial of jailed writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, adjourned on 6 July 1995, was scheduled to resume on 31 July 1995 despite the fact that Ken Saro-Wiwa may not have adequate legal defense. […]
Journalist Sabahat Varol (f) and lawyer imprisoned
Sabahat Varol, a journalist with the magazine “Devrimci Genclik” and Ahmet Duzgun Yuksel, a lawyer, are being held in Istanbul Police headquarters, where Amnesty International (AI) fears they may be facing torture in incommunicado detention. The two were detained on 20 June 1995 as they were leaving the Halkin Hukuk Burosu, People’s Law Office, in […]
Chen Ziming returned to prison
Chen Ziming, a publisher and leader of the 4 June 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations, has been returned to prison. Human Rights in China reports that around 26 June 1995, Chen Ziming’s relatives reported that he had been re-arrested and returned to Beijing No 2 prison to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence. It is said […]
Academic imprisoned for his research
Professor Park Chang-hee, a professor of history, has been imprisoned on charges which International PEN considers to infringe his right to freedom of expression and association. Professor Park, a professor of history and author of a number of books and theses on Korean history, was arrested on 26 April 1995 on charges under Article 8 […]
PEN protests enforced separation of professor from his wife
On 19 June 1995, International PEN wrote to the Egyptian President to express its shock and profound concern at the case of Dr Nasr Hamad Abu Zaid and its implications for the right to freedom of opinion and ideas in Egypt. On 14 June l995, an Egyptian court ruled that Dr Nasr Abu Zaid, a […]
PEN protests harassment of writers and journalists in Kosovo
The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN wrote to President Milosevic of Serbia on 19 June 1995 expressing concern at the continued pattern of harassment and arrest of writers and journalists in Kosovo. Indicative of this pattern of abuse of the rights to freedom of expression are the reports of the arrest and in […]
Religious scholar and poet under arrest
The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN on 19 June 1995 requested PEN members to write to the Bahraini authorities about the welfare of detained religious scholar, Shaikh ‘Abd al-Amir Mansur al-Jamri. It is feared that continued imprisonment will worsen his already poor health. Amnesty International reports that on 1 April 1995, security forces […]
Two writers detained; fears for their health
Amnesty International reports on the arrests of Ahamed Shafeeq, a civil servant and writer, and Ali Moosa Didi, a writer and politician in the Maldives. There are serious concerns about their health. On 21 April 1995, about a dozen police officers raided Ahamad Shafeeq’s home and arrested both him and Ali Moosa Didi. Also seized […]