PEN Germany highlights the imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtaş

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November 15 is marked as the International Day of the Imprisoned Writer by PEN centers around the world. Ahead of this day, PEN Germany has raised concerns and publicity about four imprisoned writers, including jailed politician, lawyer and writer Selahattin Demirtaş from Turkey.

Selahattin Demirtaş, the former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which is itself facing a closure case before the Constitutional Court, has been behind bars in the Edirne Prison in northwest Turkey since November 2016. Since his imprisonment, Selahattin Demirtaş has penned four fiction books: "Seher", "Devran", "Leylan" and "Efsun".

In its statement ahead of November 15, PEN Germany has raised concerns and publicity about four imprisoned writers in the following words:

"The German PEN, together with more than 140 PEN centers worldwide, draws attention to the dramatic situation of freedom of expression in parts of the world and brings the fate of imprisoned writers Rahile Dawut (China / Xinjiang), Selahattin Demirtaş (Turkey), Mohamed Al-Roken (United Arab Emirates) and Maykel Osorbo (Cuba) before the public eye.

"After researching the Uyghur minority, scientist Rahile Dawut was allegedly interned in the People's Republic of China.

"Politician, lawyer and writer Selahattin Demirtaş has been in jail since 2016. In one trial, he was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in prison for so-called terrorist propaganda. Further proceedings against Demirtaş, who is an honorary member of the German PEN, are pending.

"In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), human rights lawyer Mohammed Al-Roken has been in jail since 2012 on flimsy allegations - such as setting up a secret organization to overthrow the government. Cuban rapper Maykel Osorbo has been behind bars in Pinar del Río Prison since May 2021 on charges of 'public unrest' and 'resistance to police officers'."

At this point, PEN has also reiterated "its urgent appeal to the international community, in particular to the EU, not to ignore the brutal suppression of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Eritrea, where there has been no trace of twelve authors since September 2001."

"Unfortunately, the threat to writers around the world has not diminished. We are very concerned about the situation in all those countries where freedom of expression is suppressed and intellectuals are imprisoned," Ralf Nestmeyer, the Vice President and Writers-in-Prison Representative of PEN Germany, has emphasized in his statement. (AÖ/SD)