Writers-in-prison

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The Writers-in-Prison-Committee of the international writers association PEN deals with persecuted writers. Every six months the committee presents a report with the current cases ( case list ).

history

It was founded in 1960 in response to the growing number of states trying to muzzle writers through coercive measures. Later, the committee also took care of persecuted publishers , editors and journalists . Prisoners convicted of propagating violence or even its use, and those who incite racial hatred, are not supported because their activities are incompatible with the Charter of the International PEN.

In 2012 58 of the 140 PEN centers were actively involved in the Writers in Prison Committee. Each of these centers can make persecuted authors honorary members so that their fate can be made public. Through diplomatic channels or in public campaigns, special commissioners draw attention to the fate of the detainees in order to obtain the release of those affected. Attempts are made to keep in contact with the prisoners and / or their relatives and to support them financially. Non-members of the PEN can participate in the actions via petitions which can be found on the websites of the centers.

The Secretariat is attached to the London headquarters of the International PEN and collects information about the prisoners, passes it on to the national centers and also calls for "rapid actions" by the national centers. The sources for this information about the threatened authors are press reports, research by other human rights groups, messages from relatives and friends of the persecuted or from PEN members from these countries.

The Writers-in-Prison Committee is headed by an elected chairman who is supported by two full-time employees.

In the German PEN, Ralf Nestmeyer , who is also Vice President of the Writers' Association, is responsible for the "Writers-in-Prison" work.

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