Ahmed Kabir Kishore

Cartoonist, Bangladesh

Ahmed Kabir Kishore was arrested and detained, along with writer Mushtaq Ahmed, for posting satirical cartoons on Facebook, as well as comments about the Bangladeshi government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mushtaq Ahmed died in custody and Kishore was tortured and is still facing charges. Hundreds of others, including musicians, students, photojournalists, and others are facing charges for what they have posted online under the Digital Securities Act.

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Apple Daily

Newspaper, Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai is the founder of Apple Daily, which is the only pro-democracy print paper in Hong Kong. Lai was arrested in August 2020. Less than a year later, the Apple Daily was shut down, Lai is currently serving a twenty-month term at Stanley Prison.

Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee

Fiction Writer, Iran

In 2015 Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee was sentenced to six years in prison for writing a fictional story about the practice of stoning. Her sentence was reduced and she was subsequently released, only to be convicted again in 2019 and sentenced to an additional three years, seven months.

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Ja’afar Ja’afar

Journalist, Nigeria

Ja’afar Ja’afar is a Nigerian journalist who published videos allegedly showing a serving governor receiving bribes from contractors. This resulted in threats to his life and family which made him flee from Nigeria.

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Elena Milashina

Journalist, Russia

Elena Milashina is an award winning investigative journalist and human rights defender whose work has focused on Chechnya. She is at risk of retaliation, death threats and physical violence, and has been the target of smear campaigns for her reporting.

Ahnaf Jazeem – RELEASED

Poet, Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem was arrested on May 16, 2020 because of a collection of his poems, as well as other unsubstantiated claims, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He has been arbitrarily detained for over a year.