PEN International

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.

The mass “UAE 94” trial imprisoned dozens of government critics and reform activists in the United Arab Emirates.

According to unconfirmed reports, Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia, may now face a retrial for ‘apostasy’ which could result in the death penalty if he is convicted.

The case against two student activists relates to their involvement in staging a play about a fictional monarch, the “Wolf Bride”, at Thammasat University, Thailand in October 2013.