Countries with a record of imprisoned writers

The number of writers imprisoned in China exceeded one hundred for the first time, while the country continued to be the largest jailer of writers, according to PEN America, a group that fights for freedom of expression and that published its annual “Freedom to Write” Index on Wednesday. PEN America reported that 339 writers were imprisoned in 2023, the highest number in the five years it has been compiling the index.

The number of imprisoned writers – a list that excludes journalists, but includes literary writers, poets, online commentators and opinion writers – has increased overall in the last five years, he said. Karin Karlekar, director of writers at risk at PEN America. “We are seeing a worsening of threats against writers,” she said.

There are 107 writers imprisoned in China, according to the organization, 50 of whom are “”online commentators” who write about political and economic issues and express pro-democracy views.” Others were tried last year under the 2020 national security law, which crushed dissent in Hong Kong.

Some of the key figures for 2023 include: New writers imprisoned: 62; Writers at risk of being imprisoned: 923; Imprisoned writers: 288; Imprisoned writers 51; Online commentators imprisoned: 180.

PEN America also made special mention of Iran as a place where “repression against writers and the creative community continued” last year. Iran detained 13 writers in 2023, the second highest number on the index after China, bringing its total to 49 imprisoned. “Women who wrote or argued against mandatory hijab remained particularly at risk, and Iran has the largest number of female writers in prison anywhere in the world,” PEN America said. Saudi Arabia and Vietnam They tied for third place on the index, with 19 writers imprisoned in each country.

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The most notable increases since 2022 include the number of female journalists imprisoned (from 35 to 51) and the number of online commentators imprisoned (from 80 to 180). PEN America defined an online commentator as anyone who writes on social media or other internet platforms.

“In many countries, this is the only space where dissenting opinions are heard,” he said. Karlekar. Online expression is often a concern for authoritarian governments, he added, because of the internet’s immediate impact and global reach. Russia and Israel made the list of the ten biggest jailers, while Karlekar noted that countries in conflict or at war repress dissent.

“As geopolitics change and authoritarian tendencies spread to countries previously considered securely anchored in openness, we predict that freedom of expression – and therefore writers – will be increasingly threatened across a much broader spectrum. of countries,” PEN America said in a statement.

The war between Israel and Hamas has also shocked PEN America. The organization canceled its 2024 literary awards ceremony, scheduled for Monday, after months of protests and after almost half of the award candidates withdrew due to the organization’s reaction to the war, criticized for being excessively favorable. to Israel.

Journalists around the world also face more dangers. According to him Committee to Protect Journalists320 journalists were imprisoned as of December 1, 2023, the second-highest year-end figure since the organization began tracking in 1992.

He Committee to Protect Journalists declared that the high number of imprisoned journalists was a “worrying barometer of entrenched authoritarianism and fierce criticism from governments determined to stifle independent voices.”

The PEN America index focuses largely on particular cases of writers. “When a single dissident voice is imprisoned, it has a much broader impact on society as a whole,” Karlekar explained, adding that it can lead to less debate, less speech and self-censorship.

©The New York Times. Translation: Elisa Carnelli

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