PEN International

The 25 and 26 April 2015 mark the anniversary of the detention of six bloggers and three independent journalists arrested under Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation 2009. One year on there is little to celebrate.

Concerns include the use of Malaysia’s Sedition Act to suppress legitimate criticism of government and courts.

The Supreme Court of India recently struck down section 66A of the IT Act. The landmark decision signals a move towards greater protection of free expression in the world’s largest democracy; but there is still much to do.

PEN International and Macedonian PEN are deeply concerned by the recent revelations that the Macedonian state has reportedly been subjecting its journalists and various state institutions to mass, unauthorised surveillance.

During his trial, the judge told Mohamed Mkhaïtir that he was accused of apostasy for “speaking lightly” of the Prophet Mohamed. This is the first death sentence imposed in Mauritania for apostasy since independence in 1960.

Two days before Itai Dzamara’s abduction, the activist delivered a speech at an opposition rally in Harare, offering solidarity with the Movement for Democratic Change party for mass protests against the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

For World Poetry Day on 21 March, PEN International is calling attention to the cases of five persecuted poets worldwide.

The International Press Institute and 23 IFEX members sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad calling for the release of lawyer and human rights defender Mazen Darwish ahead of his court hearing on 25 March 2015.