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Tale Bagirzade

Tale Bagirzade

AZERBAIJAN / Detained November 16, 2015

Tale Bagirzade is a Shia theologian, head of the Muslim Unity Movement, and well-respected public figure. Tale has been an outspoken advocate of the peaceful Islamic movement and the rights of the religious community. He has also been vocal with his criticism of the ruling elite in Azerbaijan. On November 26, 2015, Tale and 14 fellow religious activists were arrested during a deadly police raid in the Nardaran district. The authorities claimed that the Muslim Unity Movement aims to “overthrow the constitutional order” and characterizes it as a terrorist group. However, it is believed that the raid was part of the government’s campaign to consolidate power and silence dissent by labeling them as extremists.

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Fuad Ahmadli

Fuad Ahmadli

AZERBAIJAN / Detained August 18, 2016

Fuad Ahmadli is the head of Youth Committee of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Khatai District Branch. Shortly after he helped organize an opposition demonstration, he was arrested on August 18, 2016. He was held incommunicado for ten days, during which his family and lawyer were not informed about his location. He was charged with “abuse of power” and “conducting unauthorized operative-search.”

On June 16, 2017, he received a four-year prison sentence. Fuad and his lawyer maintain that the criminal case against him was retribution for his peaceful activism.

Afgan Mukhtarli

AZERBAIJAN / Freed March 17, 2020

UPDATE: Afgan Mukhtarli, the Azeri investigative journalist and political activist well known for his investigative reports on the Azerbaijani government, was released from an Azerbaijani prison on March 17 after three years in detention. In 2017, Azerbaijani forces kidnapped Mukhtarli from his home in Georgia and brought him to Azerbaijan, where he was convicted of crossing the border illegally, and sentenced to six years incarceration after a sham trial. Mukhtarli’s sentence was widely seen as retribution for his journalism, which included articles implicating state officials, including the Aliyev family, which has dominated Azerbaijani politics since the 1990’s. Upon his release, he reunited with his wife and daughter in Berlin, Germany, who are living there in exile.

In a Global Voices interview a week after his release, Mukhtarli thanked the international community for its continued pressure on the Azerbaijani administration during his time in prison. To read that interview, click here. To read more about his abduction and trial, continue with the original #SetThemFree article below.

 

2019 #SetThemFree Alert: Afgan Mukhtarli is a well-known investigative journalist and political activist based in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he had been living in exile since 2014 to avoid persecution in Azerbaijan. He has contributed to various dissident media networks, such as Meydan TV, a Berlin-based Azerbaijani non-profit media organization that covers corruption, human rights, and other issues in Azerbaijan. He has also written for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and Eurasianet.org.

On May 29, 2017, Afgan was abducted while on his way home and forcibly taken across the border to a detention center in Baku, Azerbaijan. His lawyer reported that he was beaten and had received a bloody nose, bruises, and a broken rib during his kidnapping. He was subsequently charged with illegally crossing the border into Azerbaijan, assaulting a border guard, and carrying 10,000 euro of undeclared currency.

On January 12, 2018, Afgan was sentenced to six years in prison. Although he appealed, the Azerbaijani Supreme Court upheld the sentence on September 18, 2018. He has been detained ever since.

Prior to his abduction, Afgan had been targeted by the Azerbaijani government. On May 18, 2017, just eleven days before his abduction, he described being surveilled, threatened, and repeatedly summoned for questioning by security forces in Georgia during an interview with a local news site. He had additionally been investigating the offshore businesses of top Azerbaijani officials in Georgia before his arrest.

Afgan’s kidnapping and sentencing received widespread international condemnation. Both the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs and a member of the European Parliament, Henrik Mortensen, initiated investigations into Afgan’s detention. His detention was further met with statements of condemnation from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and prominent international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others.

On April 23, 2019, Afgan’s family reported that he was suffering from a slew of health issues in prison, including eye pain, severe diabetes, and problems with blood pressure. However, the Azerbaijani government has reportedly refused to treat him. Afgan’s lawyer has appealed the government to have him examined in a private clinic at his own expense.

Tale Bagirzade

Tale Bagirzade

AZERBAIJAN / Detained November 16, 2015

Update: In February 2019, Tale Bagirzade began a hunger strike in protest of his reported torture while imprisoned in Gobustan prison, a high-security prison outside of Baku. A month prior, he published a plea asking the international community “do not be indifferent” to “human tragedy in Gobustan Prison.”

Tale Bagirzade is a prominent Shia theologian in Azerbaijan. He is also founder and head of the Muslim Unity Movement, a peaceful Shiite Islamic socio-political movement that calls for democratic reform and religious liberties. An outspoken advocate for the rights of the religious community, Tale has been vocal with his criticism of the ruling elite in Azerbaijan. Many believe his outspoken criticism of the government was the catalyst for the infamous “Nardaran affair,” in which he and 15 other religious activists were detained during a raid.

On November 26, 2015, the Azerbaijani authorities conducted a raid on a home in Nardaran, Azerbaijan, where Tale was leading a religious ceremony. A struggle ensued during the raid, ultimately producing six casualties (four civilians and two police officers). According to witness testimony, “black-masked security forces” dragged the targets of the raid to a furniture van and beat them with rifle butts.

Ultimately, Tale and 14 others were detained. Following the raid, Tale was taken to a temporary detention center, where interrogators broke his nose and prevented him from telephoning his relatives.

On January 25, 2017, Tale was sentenced to 20 years in prison on a litany of charges, including murder, terrorism, organization of mass riots, illegal possession of weapons, and attempted forcible seizure of power. Authorities accused him and the Muslim Unity Movement of planning an armed insurrection against the state, and claimed that they had thrown Molotov cocktails and opened fire on the police officers during the raid. The trial was widely criticized as farcical, as very few journalists were allowed entry to the courtroom, and the prosecutor spoke quietly and refused to use a microphone when laying out the case against Tale and the Muslim Unity Movement.

Tale has been previously targeted by the Azerbaijani officials, serving two terms as a political prisoner from 2011-2012 and 2013-2015. He had only been released from his second prison term for three months before being detained a third time.

Tale’s detention precedes an extended crackdown on the Muslim Unity Movement and other religious liberty groups. The United States Commission for International Religious Freedom stated that the status of religious freedom in Azerbaijan dramatically deteriorated in 2016. Local human rights defenders have closely followed the case of the imprisoned religious activists and recognized them as prisoners of conscience.

Fuad Ahmadli

Fuad Ahmadli

AZERBAIJAN / Detained August 18, 2016
UPDATE: Fuad Ahmaldi was released from prison on August 18, 2020 after completing his four-year sentence.

Fuad Ahmadli is a young activist and member of the opposition political party Popular Front (PFPA). He served as the head of the Khatai branch of the PFPA’s Youth Committee, and also worked as an operator at the call center of the mobile company Azerfon LLC.

In 2014, Fuad was briefly detained and questioned for his activism. On February 24, 2014, Fuad reported that authorities “asked about his activities on Facebook and warned [him] not to make public calls for disorder.”

On August 18, 2016, Fuad was arrested and accused of distributing the personal data of Azerfon clients to third parties. He was further charged with having links to the Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, with authorities claiming that they had found books by Fethullah Gulen in Fuad’s apartment. He was subsequently placed in pretrial detention, where Fuad was held incommunicado for ten days, as authorities refused to allow him to contact his lawyer or family members.

Fuad’s health deteriorated while he was in pre-trial detention. According to his lawyer, doctors from the Central Clinical Hospital were called to the prison after he suffered side effects from earlier surgeries. He was further placed in solitary confinement twice during detention.

On June 16, 2017, Fuad was sentenced to four years in prison. His sentence was widely condemned by international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch. Fuad has remained in detention ever since.

Gozel Bayramli

Gozel Bayramli

AZERBAIJAN / Detained May 25, 2017

UPDATE: On March 17, 2019, Gozel was freed by presidential pardon, along with 400 other prisoners in Azerbaijan, ahead of Noruz—Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. The presidential pardoning of prisoners is common around this time, but generally does not include political prisoners.

Gozel Bayramli is the Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (APFP), an opposition political party in Azerbaijan.

On May 25, 2017, Azerbaijani border police detained Gozel as she was returning to the country from neighboring Georgia, where she received medical treatment for serious health problems. Authorities accused her of attempting to smuggle $12,000 in cash across the border. Gozel maintains that these accusations are fabricated, reporting that border police planted the $12,000 in her bag while taking her to a room for further questioning.

Gozel was subsequently taken to a pretrial detention facility while her case awaited judicial review. On January 23, 2018, Gozel was sentenced to three years in prison.

Gozel’s conviction has been widely criticized internationally. International human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have released statements condemning Gozel’s imprisonment. The US State Department additionally released a statement to TURAN, an Azerbaijani news site, condemning Gozel’s sentencing.

On March 17, 2019, Gozel was freed by presidential pardon, along with 400 other prisoners in Azerbaijan. Her release comes in the weeks leading up to Noruz, Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. While the presidential pardoning of prisoners is common around this time, it has traditionally not been extended to political prisoners.

Gozel had spent nearly two years in prison.

Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov

Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov

AZERBAIJAN / Detained May 9, 2017

“We believe in truth, so the prisons, tortures, insults and other things are not enough to turn us to slaves” Giyas Ibrahimov

UPDATE: Bayram and Giyas were released on March 17, 2019, by presidential pardon.

Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov are students and members of NIDA Civic Movement, a pro-democracy youth organization that has been targeted by the government. On May 9, 2017, the two students painted an anti-government message on the statue of Haydar Aliyev, the former President of Azerbaijan and the father of current president Ilham Aliyev. That same day, they posted the photos of the graffiti on social media. The next day, both were kidnapped and taken to the police station where they were brutally tortured. They were asked to publicly beg forgiveness from the statue and to confess to serious drug crimes. After they refused to admit guilt, drugs were planted at their apartments and they were then arrested on fabricated drug charges.

In 2016, both Bayram and Giyas received a 10-year sentence for the drug charges. In December 2017, Giyas Ibrahimov and his father were accused of contempt of court. As a result, Giyas’ imprisonment has been extended three more months while his father, Hasan Ibrahimov, has been sentenced to eighteen months of correctional labor with a 20-percent reduction of his salary.Both of them have received death threats during their imprisonment.

Baku Police Chief Mirgafar Seyidov, who tortured Bayram and Giyas in a police station, was included in list of candidates for targeted sanctions by United States in the framework of Global Magnitsky Act. Amnesty International also highlighted their cases in its campaign for the release of political prisoners. In June 2017, Bayram went on a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment conditions.

Ilkin Rustamzade

Ilkin Rustamzade

AZERBAIJAN / Detained May 17, 2013

Update: Ilkin Rustamzade was released by presidential pardon almost six years into his sentence on March 17, 2019, ahead of Noruz—Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. The presidential pardoning of prisoners is common around this time, but generally does not include political prisoners. Upon his release, Ilkin gave an interview about how he intends to continue his activism and how he thinks the international community can help activists working under duress in Azerbaijan. Read the interview here.

Ilkin Rustamzade is a youth activist and leading member of Azad Genclik (“Free Youth”), a pro-democracy youth movement in Azerbaijan. An outspoken critic of the government, Ilkin and other members of Azad Genclik regularly used social media to organize peaceful protests.

On May 17, 2013, Ilkin was arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in a satirical “Harlem Shake” YouTube video filmed in Baku, Azerbaijan. Although Ilkin does not appear in the video and the video contains no political content, the authorities charged him with “hooliganism” under the assertion that Ilkin had filmed the video and subsequently posted it on YouTube. Ilkin categorically denied having any involvement in the video.

Ilkin had been previously targeted for his political activism. Just two days before his arrest, Ilkin had been released from 15 days of administrative detention for his involvement in organizing a peaceful gathering to commemorate victims on the anniversary of a 2009 shooting at the Azerbaijani State Oil Company. Two months before, in March 2013, he had served six days of administrative detention as punishment for organizing a series of widely-attended peaceful protests to raise awareness for the deaths of soldiers in non-combat situations.

In September 2013, Ilkin was further charged with “organizing mass violent disorder” and accused of plotting to use Molotov cocktails against authorities at the March 2013 protests. On May 6, 2014, Ilkin was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Ilkin’s arrest was widely criticized as being politically motivated. Critics pointed out that the “Harlem Shake” video was completely apolitical and that Ilkin makes no appearance whatsoever in the video. Dr. Agnes Callamard, then the executive director of international human rights organization Article 19, stated that Ilkin’s detention “is part of a wave of politically motivated arrests.”

While in prison, Ilkin was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement in retribution for his continued criticism of the government in letters sent from prison. In May 2017, he marked four years in prison and became one of the most long-standing political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

On March 17, 2019, Ilkin was released by presidential pardon ahead of Noruz, Azerbaijan’s New Year celebration. It is common for the president to pardon prisoners in the time period leading up to Noruz, but political prisoners have generally not been pardoned. He had served nearly six years in prison.

Upon Ilkin’s release, he gave an interview discussing his imprisonment and how he intends to continue his activism. He notes that “it is crucially important for international community (sic) to pay equal level of attention to all activists under risk, not only to those who are well connected with Western organizations.”

Afgan Mukhtarli

Left: Afgan Mukhtarli © Meydan TV / Right: Protesters commemorate one year since the kidnapping of Afgan Mukhtarli. Mukhtarli reported that his abductors kept a bag over his head as they took him to Azerbaijan. © Human Rights House Foundation

AZERBAIJAN / Kidnapped May 29, 2017

“You can arrest or kill us, but others will continue the struggle. Our goal is not to overthrow Ilham Aliyev, but to give people hope.”

Afgan Mukhtarli is a well-known investigative journalist and political activist based in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he had been living in exile to avoid persecution in Azerbaijan. Afgan has contributed to RFE/RL Azeri Service, Meydan TV, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and Eurasianet.org. Prior to his imprisonment, Afgan was investigating the offshore business of top Azerbaijani officials in Georgia. On May 29, 2017, he was kidnapped in Tbilisi and forcefully taken to Baku where he was put in prison. He is facing fabricated charges of smuggling, illegal border crossing, as well as violently resisting a law enforcement official.

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Yonatan Tesfaye

ETHIOPIA /Detained in December 2015

 “If speaking for those killed on the streets constitutes a crime, I will take it as my badge of honour. I will get my judgment form history and God.”

UPDATE: On March 5, 2018, Yonatan was released from Zeway prison in the Orioma State. Yonatan had been among a list of journalists and politicians who were freed mid-February, but his release was delayed after he refused to sign a “pardon” statement that required him to admit guilt to his charges. He was finally set free after spending over two years in prison.

Yonatan is a former spokesman for the Semayawi (Blue) opposition party and was arrested in December 2015. He was detained for his Facebook comments against the government’s plans to extend Addis Ababa’s city limits into Oromia’s farmlands. He was held without charges until May 4, 2016, when he was finally charged with “‘incitement, planning, preparation, conspiracy and attempt’ to commit a terrorist act.” Authorities claimed that his comments encouraged people to rise up against the government as well as prolong the protests in the Oromia region.  Authorities had also accused him of supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a banned separatist movement which the government labeled a terrorist organization.

The international community including Amnesty International has called for his release saying that he was arbitrarily arrested and had no ties to the OLF.  On May 16, 2017,  the Ethiopian Federal High court fourth criminal bench passed a guilty verdict against Yonatan Tesfaye and sentenced him to six years in prison.

On November 2017, the Supreme Court downgraded the terrorist charges to criminal charges; the Court ruled that Yonatan had no ties to terrorism but that he had still provoked and/or prepared crimes that disrupted constitutional order. Under criminal charges, Yonatan’s sentence was reduced to three and a half years instead of the initial six.

Dr. Merera Gudina

ETHIOPIA /Detained on November 30, 2016

UPDATE:  Dr. Merera Gudina’s hearing finally took place on July 7, 2017 after months of delays. The court refused to dismiss charges against Dr. Gudina and delayed his access to a list of prosecution witnesses until a constitutional court approves the request. His next hearing is scheduled for July 31. Click here to join Ana Gomes, member of the European Parliament (EP) and World Movement for Democracy Steering Committee, in asking the Ethiopian government to #SetThemFree!

Dr. Merera Gudina is a prominent scholar and chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC). He was arrested on November 30, 2016, by Ethiopian authorities at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.  Dr. Gudina was returning from Belgium where he testified before the European Parliament about human rights abuses in Ethiopia. On February 22, 2017, he was formally charged with terrorism, “disrupting constitutional order,” and “giving a false and damaging statement about the government to the media.”  If found guilty, he could serve up to 10 years in prison.

Dr. Gudina is also accused of violating Ethiopia’s six-month state of emergency by associating with Dr. Nega who is a leader of the Patriotic Ginbot 7 (G7), an opposition group that is considered a “terrorist organization” by Ethiopia’s ruling party. The state of emergency, which suspends constitutionally guaranteed rights and gives sweeping powers to the security sector, was declared on October 9, 2016, in response to ongoing anti-government protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions.

Dr. Gudina is a former member of the Ethiopian parliament, and leads the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (MEDREK). He is also an internationally respected scholar and published author.

Antonio Ledezma Arabic

Antonio Ledezma Arabic

LAC Antonio Ledezma 2

Antonio Ledezma

VENEZUELA/ أنطونيو ليديزما

فنزويلا – محتجز منذ 19 فبراير 2015

ألقي القبض على عمدة كاراكاس أنطونيو ليديزما في مكتبه بسبب اتهامه بمحاولة الانقلاب. تم احتجازه باستخدام القوة المفرطة من قِبل الشرطة، وتم توجيه اتهامات له بدعم مجموعات متآمرين تسعى لاستخدام أعمال العنف لزعزعة استقرار البلاد، والتآمر والتورط في محاولة انقلاب تمولها الولايات المتحدة ضد الرئيس نيكولاس مادورو. تم اتهامه، وهو    في انتظار جلسة استماع أولية، وبعدها سوف تتم محاكمته وإصدار Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Leopoldo Lopez Arabic

Leopoldo Lopez Arabic

Venezuela Opposition

Leopoldo Lopez

ليوبولدو لوبيز

VENEZUELA / Detained February 18, 2014

فنزويلا – محتجز منذ 18 فبراير 2014

 

تحديث: في 12 أغسطس 2016، قررت محكمة الاستئناف الفنزويلية تأكيد الحكم على ليوبولدو بعقوبة السجن لمدة 14 عام بتهمة التآمر، التحريض العلني والحرق وإلحاق الضرر بالممتلكات العامة. إن المزاعم والاتهامات ضد لوبيز تم انتقادها من المجتمع الدولي، الذي اتفق على اعتباره سجينا سياسيا، تم حرمانه من المحاكمة العادلة. محكمة الاستئناف في كراكاس “تجاهلت” المدعي العام الرئيسي في القضية الأصلية، فرانكلين نيفيز، واعترافه بـ “تعرضه للضغوط لتوجيه اتهامات باطلة” إلى لوبيزـ وذلك وفقًا لمؤسسة حقوق الإنسان. برغم دعم الذي تلقاه لإطلاق سراحه؛ ما زال لوبيز محتجزا بسبب الاحتجاجات المؤيدة للديمقراطية في 2014، والتي مثلّت تحديا للنظام السلطوي للرئيس الفنزويلي مادورو.

منذ سجنه في 2014، تم حرمان لوبيز من استقبال زيارات زوجته، ليليان تيتوري، والعائلة، الذين غالبا ما يتعرضون للإذلال وزيارات فجائية عندما يحاولون رؤيته. أيضًا تم رفض طلباته للحصول على تمثيل قانوني، كما عانى من المعاملة اللاإنسانية في محبسه. المحاكمات الباطلة، والعقوبة القاسية تمثل انتهاكًا جسيمًا لحق لوبيز في حرية التجمع السلمي والتنظيم. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Daniel Ceballos Arabic

Daniel Ceballos Arabic

LAC Daniel-Ceballos

VENEZUELA /

دانيال سيبالوس

فنزويلا/ محتجز منذ 19 مارس 2014

تحديث: بعد أن كان محتجزا في البيت لمدة عام، تمت إعادة القبض على دانيال سيبالوس في 25 أغسطس 2016، وما زال في السجن.

دانيال سيبالوس، هو ناشط حقوق إنسان وعمدة سابق لسان كريستوبال في تاشيرا، تم إيقافه ثم طرده بناء على قرار المحكمة العليا الفنزويلية بتهمة ازدراء المحكمة ولفشله في ملاحقة المشاركين في الاحتجاجات السلمية الفنزويلية في عام 2014. الاتهامات الموجهة له تتضمن التمرد والتآمر. هو حاليا يتابع المسار القضائي لاستلام القرار النهائي بشأن عقوبته. في 17 مايو، سيبالوس فاز بالانتخابات التمهيدية التي عقدها ائتلاف المعارضة قبل الانتخابات العامة التي ستعقد في وقت لاحق في الخريف. بعد أسبوع من فوزه، تم نقله من سجن عسكري تم حجزه فيه منذ العام الماضي إلى سجن عادي خارج كاراكاس. بعد نقله، اضم سيبالوس إلى ليوبولدو لوبز في إضراب عن الطعام لمدة 30 يوم. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Ronny Navarro Arabic

Ronny Navarro Arabic

VENEZUELA /روني نافارو

فنزويلا/محتجز منذ 28 يونيو 2014

تحديث: خلال وجوده بالسجن؛ تخضع أغراض روني للتفتيش كل 15 يوم.

روني نافارو كان قد تعرض للاحتجاز التعسفي بوساطة المخابرات البوليفارية في المطار في ميكويتيا، كاراكاس في 28 يونيو 2014. في بداية 2014، قمت مجموعة كبيرة من الشباب بتنظيم معسكرات احتجاج وقاموا بالتخييم عبر كامل الأراضي الوطنية لأكثر من 40 يومًا. روني نافارو كان أحد قادة المعسكر في بلازا “ألفريدو سادل” في لاس مرسيدس، كاراكاس. في صباح 8 مايو 2014، قام الحرس الوطني بنشر عملية مفاجئة لإزالة كل المعسكرات. تم القبض على جميع المتواجدين في بلازا سادل، إلا 3 تعرضوا للاعتقال؛ البقية، بما في ذلك روني، تعرضوا لتطبيق التدابير الاحترازية عليهم.

في 10 مايو 2014، زعم النائب العام دون دليل جنائي أن روني نافارو ارتكب جرائم التآمر وعرقلة الطرق العامة. روني كان حرا لكن كان مطلوبا منه الامتثال لتقديم تقارير منتظمة. بعد القبض عليه في 28 يونيو 2014، فإن الجرائم المذكورة أعلاه والاتهامات الإضافية بشأن التحدي والازدراء تمت المصادقة عليها في 1 يوليو 2014. وفقا لذلك تمت محاكمته بسبب زيارته لبعض النشطاء خلال خوضهم إضرابا عن الطعام قبل ذلك ببضعة أيام، حتى برغم أنه لم ينتهك أي حظر أو بقي في اجتماع عام. بعد هذه الجلسة، روني نافارو كان قد تم احتجازه وإرساله لمقر المخابرات في هليكس، حيث لا يزال هناك.

في 17 سبتمبر 2014، طلب مكتب النائب العام الوطني نقل روني نافارو مرة أخرى إلى قصر العدل، لكي تلصق به تهمة جديدة: التآمر من أجل نشوب ثورة، الاتهام كان استجابة لشريط فيديو يفترض أنه تم تسجيله بوساطة عميل سري. في بداية نوفمبر 2015، قام المتحدث باسم الحكومة الفنزويلية بمنح روني استثناء إنسانيا بما يسمح له بإجراء جراحة لمعالجة كسر في يده اليسرى. في محاولة للحصول على حريته؛ قام روني بمحاولة غير ناجحة للترشح للبرلمان في الانتخابات الفنزويلية خلال عام 2015. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Gerardo Carrero Arabic

Gerardo Carrero Arabic

VENEZUELA / جيراردو كاريرو

فنزويلا/ محتجز منذ 8 مايو 2014

جيراردو إرنستو ديلاجدو كاريرو هو ناشط حقوق إنسان ومنسق وطني لـ “عملية الحرية”. هو أيضا المنسق الوطني لـ “منظمة الشباب الفنزويليون” وهم رواد في تنظيم معسكرات للطلاب والشباب المعارضين وفقا لمنهجية “المقاومة المدنية المنظمة” و”لا للعنف”. هؤلاء الأفراد قاموا بالتخييم في مقرات برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي في كاراكاس في 2014 للمطالبة بـ “الوعي القومي”.

في الصباح الباكر ليوم 8 مايو 2014، نفذ ضباط الحرس الوطني البوليفاري(GNB)  عملية لطرد الشباب الذي قضوا أياما في خيامهم عبر فنزويلا للاحتجاج على أزمة الديمقراطية. بلغ إجمالي المعتقلين 300 شخص، ومن بينهم جيراردو كاريرو. جيراردو كان يحتج سلميا فقط خارج مكتب برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي في كاراكاس، فنزويلا.

جيراردو كان محتجزا لعدة شهور لدى المخابرات البوليفارية في المقر الرئيسي لبلازا فنزويلا، في زنزانة تقع في الطابق الخامس تحت الأرض؛ ويطلق العديد من الناس على هذا المكان اسم “القبر”. بعد مزاعم بتعرضه للمعاملة القاسية والتعذيب؛ تم نقل جيراردو لزنزانة في مقر المخابرات البوليفارية في هليكس، حيث يقبع هناك في الحجز حتى اليوم.

بعد أكثر من 20 جلسة استماع، تم اتهامه دون دليل بارتكاب جرائم عدة تشمل التآمر، التحريض على عصيان القانون، عرقلة المرور في الطرق العامة، وتعاطي المخدرات.

في 3 مارس 2015، أصدرت لجنة البلدان الأمريكية لحقوق الإنسان قرار بتدابير وقائية لصالح كاريرو.

في 28 أكتوبر 2015، أصدر الفريق العامل المعني بمسألة الاحتجاز التعسفي التابع للأمم المتحدة تقريرا أفاد فيه بأنه يعتقد، بعد التحليل المفصّل لكل حالة، أن احتجاز جيراردو كاريرو، بين آخرين في سجن المخابرات، كان تعسفيا.

قد تعرض جيرادو كايرور لمشكلات صحية خطيرة. إنه يعاني من مشكلات بالمعدة، ولديه 28 خراج في جلده، ويعاني من الحمى ودرجة الحرارة المرتفعة فوق 40 درجة مئوية وحتى الآن يتلقى الرعاية الطبية.

في إطار جهود السعي لتحقيق الحرية، فإن جيرادو كيرارو قد رشح نفسه للانتخابات البرلمانية في الانتخابات الفنزويلية التي ستعقد في 6 ديسمبر 2015. وقد رشح نفسه استنادا إلى قرينة البراءة الراسخة في الدستور الفنزويلي. التصويت قد يمنحه حريته، التي لم يحظى بها حتى اللحظة الراهنة. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Renzo Prieto Arabic

Renzo Prieto Arabic

LAC Renzo Prieto Vzla

Renzo Prieto

رينزو بييترو

فنزويلا/محتجز منذ 10 مايو 2014

تحديث: انتخب رينزو بييترو للبرلمان الفنزويلي خلال انتخابات ديسمبر 2015. برغم الحصانة الممنوحة لأعضاء البرلمان المنتخبون؛ فما زال رينزو بييترو مسجونًا.

رينزو بييترو مسجل حاليا في الدراسات الجامعية في المقر الرئيسي لولاية مريديا وهو أنهى دراسته في جامعة تاشيرا وهو فني متخصص في التدريب الرياضي. وهو معروف بالنسبة لزملائه باسم “المسيح” وذلك نظرا لتشابه هيئته مع يسوع المسيح. رينزو أصبح معروف على المستوى الوطني عندما قام بجولة لمدة 19 يوما قطع فيها المسافة بين سان كريستوبال إلى كاراكاس تحت شعار “جولة السلام”. وقد قام بالتأكيد على أنه منذ ذلك الحين فإن المخابرات البوليفارية تتبع خطواته.

كان قد تم القبض عليه في كاراكاس في ظهيرة أحد الأيام عندما كان يحاول دخول مركز تجاري في المدينة، تم تطويقه ثم احتجازه تعسفيا بوساطة العديد من ضباط الشرطة الفنزويليين. بعد 6 جلسات استماع مؤجلة، تم اتهامه بارتكاب العديد من الجرائم، وذلك يشمل توافر النية الإجرامية (دون دليل على الشراكة أو دليل على الغرض)؛ تخريب الطرق العامة، تهريب المخدرات وتصنيع المتفجرات، وهي الاتهامات التي لم يقترفها رينزو. في 28 أكتوبر 2015، أفادت مجموعة عمل الاحتجاز التعسفي التابعة للأمم المتحدة بأنها تعتقد، بعد تحليل تفصيلي لكل حالة، أن احتجاز رينزو، بين آخرين، في مقر المخابرات SEBIN في كاراكاس، كان تعسفيا. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Gilberto Sojo Arabic

Gilberto Sojo Arabic

VENEZUELA / Detained November 26, 2014

جلبرتو سوجو

فنزويلا/ اعتقل في 26 نوفمبر 2014

تحديث: جلبرتو كان نزيلا بالمستشفى في أبريل 2016 نتيجة ارتفاع طارئ لضغط الدم بسبب ظروف السجن وكان يعاني ألما لا يطاق في الفقرات العنقية.

جلبرتو سوجوهو قائد محلي للحزب السياسي “الإرادة الشعبية” في مدينته في سان أوغسطين، كاراكاس. كان قد تعرض للاحتجاز التعسفي بسبب شهادة مواطن مجهول، وقد اقتيد سوجو إلى السجن وبصحبته زوجته وطفله البالغ من العمر 3 سنوات. تم إطلاق سراح الزوجة والطفل بعد 24 ساعة من الاحتجاز.

جلبرتو لا يزال محتجزا في المقر الرئيسي للمخابرات البوليفارية الفنزويلية، في كاراكاس. مصادر مقربة من سوجو تعتقد أن الاعتقال كان نتيجة جمع سوجو التوقيعات لعقد جمعية تأسيسية. هو متهم بالإرهاب الفردي. وما زال في السجن بينما ينتظر الحكم عليه. محاكمته بدأت وهو في انتظار القرار النهائي.

جلبرتو سوجو انتخب للبرلمان خلال انتخابات ديسمبر 2015. ترشح على أساس قرينة البراءة المنصوص عليها في الدستور. برغم أن القانون الفنزويلي يوفر حصانة من المحاكمة الجنائية لأعضاء البرلمان؛ فإن جلبرتو لا يزال مسجونًا. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Yeimi Varela Arabic

Yeimi Varela Arabic

VENEZUELA /يمي فاريلا

 فنزويلا/اعتقل في 1 مايو 2014

يمي فاريلا كان الشخص المسئول عن الأمن في مكتب منظمات حقوق الإنسان الفنزويلية عوالم دون رقابة وإنسانية وحرة. في أعقاب المشاركة في احتجاج ضد الحكومة في 2014، تمت مداهمة المكتب في كاراكاس بوساطة المخابرات البوليفارية، وتم احتجازه تعسفيا واتهامه بالتآمر وحيازة متفجرات. تم توجيه الاتهامات إليه، وبانتظار توجهه للمحاكمة ثم الحكم بسجنه. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

 

Yoelkis Rosabal Flores (Arabic)

Yoelkis Rosabal Flores (Arabic)

Yoelkis Rosabal Flores

يولكيس روزابيلا فلوريس

كوبا/ ألقي القبض عليه في مايو 2014

يولكيس هو عضو في الاتحاد الوطني الكوبي (UNPACU) وبصحبته اثنين من النشطاء الشباب تم اعتقالهم بوساطة الشرطة، بسبب تنظيمهم مظاهرة تطالب بإطلاق سراح طالب وزميل الاتحاد الوطني الكوبي، العضو يوهانس أرك سارمينتو.

تم اتهامه بـ “الإخلال بالنظام العام” وحكم عليه بالسجن لمدة أربع سنوات.Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza (Arabic)

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza (Arabic)

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza

رينير رودريغيز ميندوزا

كوبا/ محكوم عليه في أغسطس 2015

شارك رينير في عدد من الأنشطة المدنية العامة في هافانا، للمطالبة باحترام أكبر لحقوق الإنسان. في وقت لاحق؛ ألقت السلطات القبض عليه بسبب نشاطه العلني.

تم اتهام رينير بـ “خطورة ما قبل الإجرام” وتم الحكم عليه بالسجن لعامين. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta (Arabic)

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta (Arabic)

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta

ريكاردو بيلير فورميتا

كوبا/ محتجز منذ مايو 2014

 

ريكاردو هو عضو في الاتحاد الوطني الكوبي (UNPACU)، ألقت مباحث أمن الدولة القبض عليه في مايو 2014، وذلك في أعقاب اقتحامهم العنيف لمنزل صديقه يولكس روزابال فلورس. كان الشاب قد نظم احتجاجا سلميا للمطالبة بإطلاق سراح زميل الاتحاد الوطني الكوبي الناشط يوهانس آرسي سارمينتو، الذي احتجز آنذاك.

ريكاردو اتهم بـ “الإخلال بالنظام العام” وتلقى حكمًا بالسجن لثلاث سنوات. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

Mario Ronaide Figueroa Diéguez (Arabic)

Mario Ronaide Figueroa Diéguez (Arabic)

 

ماريو روناد فيغيروا ديغيز

كوبا/ محكوم عليه في 2 ديسمبر 2014

 

عضو في الاتحاد الوطني الكوبي (UNPACU). ماريو كان متهمًا بـ “الاخلال بالنظام العام”، وتلقى حكما بالسجن لثلاث سنوات في 2 ديسمبر 2014. يقضي ماريو فترة عقوبته في سجن أجادورس في سانتياغو، كوبا. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

María del Carmen Cala Aguilera (Arabic)

María del Carmen Cala Aguilera (Arabic)

ماريا ديل كارمن كالا أغيليرا

كوبا/ محتجز منذ أبريل 2015

 

في مقرها في هولجيون في كوبا، كانت ماريا ديل كارمن عضو نشط في كل إناث كوبا في المجموعة البيضاء لنحو خمس سنوات قبل سجنها. الآنسة كالا اُتهمت بـ “بالاعتداء” بعد إهانتها لطبيب تسبب في وفاة ابنها، الذي مات نتيجة اهمال طبي.

وقد وجهت إليها السلطات الحكومية تهمة “الاعتداء”، ويتوقع إدانتها من المحكمة. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Yon Goicoechea

VENEZUELA // Detained August 29, 2016

UPDATE: On November 3, 2017, Yon Goicoechea was released from prison with restrictions on speech and movement after more than a year in detention. He continues his political activism in Venezuela today.

Yon Goicoechea is a Venezuelan activist, lawyer, and member of the political party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”). He first gained international attention in early 2007, when he led the Movimiento Estudiantil (“Student Movement”) against a decision by then-Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to shut down Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), an independent television station in Venezuela. At only 22 years old, he organized more than 40 protest marches of around 80,000 people each in an effort to draw global attention to declining civil liberties in Venezuela. Yon received the Cato Institute’s 2008 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty for his “pivotal role in organizing and voicing opposition to the erosion of human and civil rights in his country.” He went on to co-found Futuro Presente, a foundation focusing on leadership and civic training.

After studying in the US and Spain for a few years, Yon returned to Venezuela in 2016, stating “I returned and millions will return, because Venezuela has a future.” On August 29, 2016, Yon was kidnapped when eight armed men intercepted his vehicle at the La Trinidad tunnel. Hours later, the vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) confirmed that the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) took Yon into custody for having “detonating cords.” For more than 56 hours, Venezuelan officials withheld information about Yon’s whereabouts from his family and lawyer, only revealing his location after prosecutors charged him with possessing explosives and a judge ordered his pretrial detention.

In a New York Times column written from jail, Yon reported that “a couple of dozen armed agents tied [his] hands and covered [his] head with a black cloth.” He was subsequently detained in a cell without light or natural ventilation, where he “felt as if [he] had been buried alive.” At his trial, Yon testified that he had to “sign a document stating that his rights had been respected” or risk solitary confinement for months, despite being kidnapped without an arrest warrant and detained without access to legal counsel.

On September 6, 2016, Yon was transferred to an administrative office in SEBIN detention center the Helicoide. There, he slept on a mat for seven months, before finally being placed in a cell with a bed. He further reported being filmed and harassed by SEBIN officials.

On October 20, 2016, a court ordered Yon’s release due to the prosecution failing to bring charges against him within 45 calendar days of his arrest. Nevertheless, SEBIN officials continued to hold him in their detention facility. In Yon’s own words, he was “being held hostage in violation of the Constitution.” During this time, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International all called for Yon’s immediate release.

Yon remained imprisoned until November 3, 2017—more than a year after his case was closed. He remains a political activist in Venezuela, serving in the national board of Voluntad Popular and the transitional government of Juan Guaido, president of the National Assembly. He continues to fight for his dream of a “democratic, free, independent Venezuela, a peaceful Venezuela.”

 

Delson Guarate

VENEZUELA / Detained on August 31, 2016

UPDATE: On November 3, 2017, Delson was released from prison, but with restrictions on speech and movement. On December 17, 2017, he was forced to flee Venezuela after officials attempted to take him back into custody. Delson is now residing in exile in Colombia.

Delson Guarate is the former mayor of the municipality Mario Briceno Iragorry in Aragua State, as well as a member of leading opposition party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”). At the time of his election to mayor, he was only 20 years old—the youngest alderman in the history of Venezuela.

Delson was arrested on September 2, 2016 by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), when a team of 15 SEBIN officials forcibly removed him from his office at City Hall. Delson was subsequently imprisoned in a SEBIN detention facility, the Helicoide.

The Venezuelan government initially charged Delson with environmental crimes of “contravention of land management plans and undue disposal of solid and hazardous waste.” Shortly afterwards, officials accused him of a plot against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, alleging that they had found “grenades, tear gas bombs, and a plane for the location of these devices.” According to his family, he was not given a chance to defend himself in court—the preliminary hearing of his case was suspended at least ten times.

Delson’s health deteriorated significantly during his imprisonment. Over the course of a year, he lost approximately 60 pounds and was diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, Venezuelan officials repeatedly disregarded his health concerns. After internal bleeding landed Delson in the hospital on September 21, 2016, SEBIN officials forcibly discharged him and returned him to the Helicoide on October 3rd, 2016. A month later, he was rushed back to the hospital for acute gastritis. When he underwent an operation for his intestinal condition, Delson was denied access to the medicine needed for his treatment (five doses of insulin a day). Although his attorney lodged repeated requests to have Delson transferred to house arrest for humanitarian measures, his requests went ignored and Delson remained in the military hospital.

At the same time, Delson’s trial was constantly delayed. Ironically, the 43rd Court in Caracas cited his “lack of transfer from the military hospital” as reason for the deferrals. After the tenth postponement in October 2017, Delson went on hunger strike to protest both his prolonged detention and the lack of medical care.

Delson was finally released on parole on November 3, 2017, after more than a year in detention without a hearing. On December 17, 2017, Delson fled Venezuela, crossing the border to Colombia. In a video sent to Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, he reported that SEBIN officials had attempted to take him back to the Helicoide.

Delson continues his activism in exile, stating that “the most important thing about life in prison is knowing that…you are there because you can generate change.”

 

 

Braulio Jatar

Braulio Jatar
VENEZUELA / Detained on September 3, 2016

UPDATE: On July 8, 2019, the Venezuelan authorities formally released Braulio Jatar from house arrest. However, Braulio is barred from leaving his home state of Nueva Esparta, and must present himself in court once every 15 days.

Braulio Jatar is a Chilean-Venezuelan lawyer and journalist. He gained prominence as the founder, director, and editor of Reporte Confidencia, an independent online news website, and additionally hosted three radio shows on legal topics (“Radio Continente”, “Super K La Caribena” and “Encuentro 88.7 FM”).

On September 3, 2016, Braulio was detained by officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) while on his way to host his regular Saturday morning radio show. Officials withheld information about Braulio from his family for twelve hours, only notifying his relatives of his whereabouts when they raided his home without a court order. He was charged with money laundering for allegedly being in possession of $25,000 in cash in his vehicle.

Braulio’s relatives and defense lawyer believe that he was framed by SEBIN officials in retaliation to posting a video of protesters jeering at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Reporte Confidencia. Around thirty people were detained at the protest, but all were released except for Braulio.

Braulio was subsequently imprisoned in and transferred between various SEBIN detention centers. During this time, Braulio suffered from myriad health issues, including hypertension, skin cancer, and severe weight loss.

In April 2017, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Braulio’s detainment “stemmed from his exercise of rights and freedoms enshrined in Article 19 of the Covenant” and called for his immediate release. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects the right to freedom of expression.

Authorities released Braulio from prison but placed him under house arrest on May 24, 2017, citing health reasons. Under the terms of the house arrest, Braulio is under 24-hour surveillance by security forces, is barred from making public statements about his case, and can only leave the house for medical reasons and with a judge’s authorization. Since then, Braulio has remained imprisoned in his own home as he waits for a trial date to be set.

 

 

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza

Reinier Rodríguez Mendoza

CUBA / Sentenced August 2015

Reinier participated in a number of public civic activities in Havana calling for greater respect for human rights. He was subsequently arrested by authorities for his public activism.

Reinier was charged with “pre-criminal dangerousness” and sentenced to two years of jail. In July 2016, Reinier was arrested again and one year later he was sentenced to four years in jail. Reinier suffers from HIV as well as Hepatitis C, but is being denied proper treatment.

Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta

Ricardo Pelier Frómeta

CUBA / Detained May 2014

Ricardo is a member of Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU) and was arrested in May 2014 by state security after they violently entered the home of his friend Yoelkis Rosabal Flores. The young men had staged a peaceful protest to call for the release of fellow UNPACU activist Yohannes Arce Sarmiento, who was detained at the time.

Ricardo was charged with “public disorder” and sentenced to three years of jail. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

María del Carmen Cala Aguilera

María del Carmen Cala Aguilera

CUBA / Detained April 24, 2015

Based in Holguín, Cuba, Maria del Carmen Cala Aguilera was an active member of Cuba’s all-female Ladies in White group for about five years prior to her imprisonment. Cala was accused of  “attack”–a vague

after she insulted the doctor responsible for the death of her son, who died as a result of medical negligence.

She was charged with “attack” by government authorities, and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. On March 1, 2016, her name was included on a list of 47 verified political prisoners provided by the Cuban American National Foundation to President Raul Castro, who had promised to set political prisoners free if provided a list of their names. He never followed through.

On April 19, 2018, Cuba will select a new president   Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

 

Ronny Navarro

Ronny Navarro

VENEZUELA / Detained June 28, 2014

UPDATE: In December 2017, Ronny was released from the Helicoide—an infamous Venezuelan detention center—along with twelve other prisoners following a recommendation for the release of 80 political prisoners by the National Assembly. He was detained for three years and seven months.

Ronny Navarro is a Venezuelan activist and member of the political party Alianza Bravo Pueblo (“Fearless People’s Alliance”). He was initially arrested on May 10, 2014 for organizing a peaceful youth protest camp in the Plaza “Alfredo Sadel” in Las Mercedes, Caracas. Prosecutors charged Ronny with conspiracy and obstruction of public roads, then released him with the requirement that he present himself before the court every 15 days.

On June 28, 2014, officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) suddenly arrested Ronny at the airport in Maiquetia, Caracas, while he and his family were on their way to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Without bringing any evidence, prosecutors accused him of attempting to cross the border to Colombia. Ronny was subsequently sent to the Helicoide, a SEBIN detention center.

Ronny suffered a fracture in his left hand that was left untreated in the Helicoide, causing him to lose mobility in his fingers. On November 9, 2015, a judge approved Ronny’s release to house arrest so that he would be able to operate on his left hand. However, SEBIN officials never released Ronny.

In December 2017, the National Assembly recommended the release of more than 80 political prisoners. Ronny was one of 13 prisoners released by the end of the year. He spent three years and seven months in prison.

 

Gerardo Carrero

Gerardo Carrero

VENEZUELA / Detained May 8, 2014

UPDATE: Gerardo was released on December 31, 2016, along with several other student activists, after spending two and a half years in prison. He continues his political advocacy by campaigning for the closure of SEBIN detention center La Tumba.

Gerardo Carrero is a Venezuelan activist who serves as the national coordinator of the Venezuelan Youth Organization. In 2014, he worked to organize protests under the movement “National Conscience,” in which students installed tents in front of the headquarters of the United Nations Development Programme in Caracas, Venezuela. The movement was aimed to peacefully protest against the economic and social policies of the Venezuelan government.

On May 8, 2014, officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) detained Gerardo along with 120 other student protestors. Although 112 students were shortly released, Gerardo remained in prison as prosecutors charged him with obstruction of public roads, incitement to disobey the law, and minor drug usage. He was held in the Helicoide, an infamous SEBIN detention center.

After spending 103 days in the Helicoide, Gerardo went on hunger strike to protest the prolonged detention of all the student activists who had been arrested in 2014, including himself. In an effort to force Gerardo to break the hunger strike, SEBIN officials reportedly handcuffed him to a pipe and beat him with wooden boards until they broke against his legs. After his family members protested his treatment, a judge ruled in September 2014 for Gerardo to be transferred to La Tumba (“The Tomb”), another SEBIN prison.

Gerardo compared his detainment in La Tumba to being “buried alive.” There, he was subjected to solitary confinement in a 2 x 3 meter cell, 15 meters underground. He was kept away from sunlight for five months and learned to identify nightfall when the subway stopped passing over his head. His mistreatment caused him to despair so much that he tried to commit suicide three days after arriving.

While in La Tumba, Gerardo developed serious gastrointestinal problems, fever, diarrhea and vomiting, skin abscesses, and dental pain. To protest his mistreatment, Gerardo went on another hunger strike along with fellow La Tumba prisoners Lorent Saleh and Gabrielle Valles. Their abuse gained international attention, leading the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to pressure the Venezuelan authorities to transfer Gerardo back to a cell in the Helicoide. He was finally transferred back to the Helicoide on February 22, 2015, after spending seven months in La Tumba.

Gerardo stayed in the Helicoide for almost another two years. He was finally released on December 31, 2016. Gerardo continues his political activism and now advocates for the closure of La Tumba.

 

Renzo Prieto

Renzo Prieto

VENEZUELA / Detained May 10, 2014

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UPDATE: Renzo Prieto was released on June 2, 2018 among a larger spate of releases by the Venezuelan government. He served four years in prison.

Renzo Prieto is a Venezuelan lawmaker and activist. He is an elected representative to the Venezuelan parliament as a member of the opposition political party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”). He is also the Secretary General for Juventud Activa Venezuela Unida (JAVU), a platform for young Venezuelan activists.

Renzo Prieto was arrested on May 10, 2014 in front of the Mall El Tolon in Caracas by 30 officials of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), who did not identify themselves nor present an arrest warrant. A witness to the arrest reported that a group of armed men shot at Renzo for him to stop before placing him in a vehicle to be taken away. He was subsequently taken to a SEBIN detention center, the Helicoide, where he was denied access to a lawyer and questioned with the use of intimidation and psychological violence.

Renzo has been an activist since 2007, when he joined an anti-government student movement. A warrant was issued for his arrest while he was organizing demonstrations in the Venezuelan Andes for JAVU Tachira. He chose not to flee and traveled to Caracas instead after the arrest of movement leader Leopoldo Lopez, saying “I knew that if I left I would only regret it.”

Renzo was initially detained on charges including drug trafficking, criminal association, possessing explosives, fabricating weapons, and blocking traffic—many of which were later dropped. According to Bloomberg News, Renzo’s trial was “delayed more than 30 times as police refused to take him to court or the judge simply didn’t show.” The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations declared Renzo’s arrest arbitrary and called for his immediate release during its 73rd session from August to September 2015.

In prison, Renzo shared a cell with 15 other inmates. Guards denied him fresh air and water, and threatened to confine him in a cramped cell for disobeying orders. In December 2016, Renzo launched a 15-day hunger strike with a dozen other prisoners to demand his freedom—shedding more than 20 pounds in the process. He continued to participate in several protests throughout 2017, and was punished with “isolation, the prohibition of visits from relatives and lawyers, [and] the lack of access to sunlight.”

While he was still detained, Renzo was elected to the National Assembly in December 2014. Another student activist chose him as his deputy under a provision that allows elected representatives to name a substitute in the event of their incapacity.

Renzo was finally released after four years of detainment on June 2, 2018, as part of a national reconciliation effort attempted by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after his reelection in May 2018. Directly after his release, Renzo was sworn into the National Assembly (the legislator he served as understudy for is in exile). Renzo holds the record for longest politically-motivated imprisonment among all Venezuelan elected officials.

Gilberto Sojo

Gilberto Sojo

VENEZUELA / Detained November 26, 2014

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UPDATE: Gilberto was released in December 2016 after two years of imprisonment. However, he is banned from leaving Venezuela and must appear before court once a month.

Gilberto Sojo is a Venezuelan legislator and activist. He is an elected representative to the Venezuelan National Assembly and a community leader for the political party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”) in his hometown of San Agustin, Caracas, Venezuela. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a motorcycle deliveryman who organized social activities for retirees in San Agustin.

On November 26, 2014, Gilberto was arrested by officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN). SEBIN officials accused him of plotting to blow up the Palace of Justice—Venezuela’s Supreme Court—in an effort to liberate Voluntad Popular leader Leopoldo Lopez. They claimed that they had found C4 explosives on his motorcycle.

Gilberto was subsequently imprisoned in the Helicoide, a SEBIN detention center. There, he described being tied to a desk so that he “was hanging by [his] bound hands,” forced to stay in a crouch in a chamber called the “drawer” for 18 days, and beaten repeatedly. Gilberto referred to the Helicoide as “a torture center of this regime.”

In December 2015, Gilberto was elected to the National Assembly as the deputy to legislator Dinorah Figuera while still detained. This was possible due to a provision that allows elected lawmakers to the National Assembly to choose substitutes in the event of their incapacity. However, the Venezuelan government rejected an appeal by Voluntad Popular to release Gilberto under parliamentary immunity, which prevents elected lawmakers from being prosecuted.

On the dawn of December 13, 2016, Gilberto was unexpectedly released. He had spent more than two years in prison. That same day, he was sworn into the National Assembly and officially assumed his duties as deputy legislator. However, he is banned from leaving the country and is to appear before court once a month.

 

 

Reeyot Alemu

Reeyot Alemu

 6 FREE Reeyot Alemu

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Reeyot Alemu has been set free on July 9, 2015!

Reeyot Alemu, a journalist who regularly contributed to weekly newspaper Féteh and a high school English teacher, was arrested on June 21, 2011. The authorities attempted to silence her with the anti-terrorism law and the criminal code. She faced 14 years of imprisonment, along with a fine of 33,000 birrs (USD 1,850), despite the fact that she earned less than $100 per month. In 2012, an appeals court reduced her sentence to 5 years and dropped most of the terrorism charges. Before imprisonment, she founded her own magazine Change in 2010, in which she covered critical social and political issues, including poverty and gender equality. Her outstanding journalism helped her to win the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2013.

Asemamaw Hailegiorgis

Asemamaw Hailegiorgis

 1 FREE Asemamaw Hailegiorgis

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Asemamaw Hailegiorgis has been set free on July 8, 2015!

Asemamaw Hailegiorgis, a journalist with information technology background, was arrested on April 25, 2014. He faced terrorism charges along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. Hailegiorgis worked for Addis Guday magazine for seven years and finished as a managing editor. He also organized his own radio program about IT on Addis Ababa city FM radio station.

Tesfalem Weldeyes

Tesfalem Weldeyes

 4 FREE Tesfalem Weldeyes

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Tesfalem Weldeyes has been set free on July 8, 2015!

Tesfalem Weldeyes, a journalist who worked as a freelancer for Addis Standard and many other Ethiopian media, was arrested on April 25, 2014. He was charged with terrorism alongside a number of Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. After 439 days of imprisonment, Weldeyes was freed.

Edom Kassaye

Edom Kassaye

 2 FREE Edom Kassaye

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Edom Kassaye has been set free on July 9, 2015!

Edom Kassaye is a journalist who had served as a reporter for various media since 2008. Along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations, she was imprisoned on April 25, 2014 with charges of terrorism. She briefly worked for “The Ethiopian Herald,” a government English daily, and was an employee of Radio Fana and Global Voices Amharic. Although she was not a member of Zone 9, she participated in numerous online campaigns held by Zone 9. Referred to as “Miss Integrity” by other bloggers, she is deeply committed to active citizenship while under repression.

 

 

Mahlet Fantahun

Mahlet Fantahun

ETHIOPIA / Freed April 6, 2018

About

Mahlet Fantahun is a former database administrator at the Ministry of Health in Addis Ababa and is a co-founder of Zone 9, an Amheric blog run by a group of activists whose motto is: “We blog because we care.” The blog is “mainly aimed at creating an alternative and independent platform of ideas on the socio-political conditions of Ethiopia—in which public discourse will be encouraged.”

The name is a play off of the eight zones in Kality Prison, the main jail where Ethiopia’s political prisoners are held. The bloggers refer to the entire country as “Zone 9” because of Ethiopia’s lack of democratic freedoms. In November 2015, the Zone 9 bloggers were awarded the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Fantahun received her degree in Applied Mathematics. She seeks to foster civic engagement by posting critical comments on social and political issues in Ethiopia on her Facebook page.

Updates

Fantahun was released after serving an unjust 12 day detention without any formal charges at Gotera-Pepsi Police Station in Addis Ababa. She was arrested with 11 other journalists, who were also freed.

Prior Imprisonments

On March 25, 2018, Fantahun was re-arrested along with 11 other human rights activists and journalists. The arrests were carried out while the defenders were attending a private gathering in Addis Ababa at the home of journalist Temesgen Desalegn. The gathering was held in recognition of the recent release of thousands of political prisoners amidst ongoing and widespread protests against political marginalization and land grabbing in the Oromia and Amhara regions which began in late 2015. Fantahun, along with fellow Zone9 blogger Befeqadu Hailu, was arrested for violating the State of Emergency provisions that forbid gathering en masse and is being held at Gotera-Pepsi Police Station in Addis Ababa.

Fantahun was arrested on April 25, 2014. Like other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations, she was charged with terrorism. On July 9, 2015, Fantahun was released and her charges were dropped.

How can you help?

Spread awareness and stand in solidarity. Share this tweet to amplify Mahlet’s story.

Upload #SetThemFree campaign graphics featuring Mahlet to your profiles!

Send direct messages to your local and national governments calling for the release of political prisoners.

Ask local and online newspapers, journalists and writers in your city to highlight the stories of imprisoned activists.

Take photos with your friends with a #SetThemFree sign and the names of activists you want to support. Share them in your social media spaces, and send them to us for us share.

Stay informed about political prisoners by subscribing to Democracy Alerts & Democracy News. Subscribe here and The World Movement for Democracy will make sure you’re emailed the latest updates about political prisoners.

Zelalem Kibret

Zelalem Kibret

 5 FREE Zelalem Kibret

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Zelalem Kibret has been set free on July 8, 2015!

Zelalem Kibret is a lawyer and a lecturer at Ambo University who co-founded Zone 9. On April 25, 2014, he was arrested with charges of terrorism along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. Kibret ran a blog about education issues in Ethiopia, which was regarded as one of the most creditable sources and widely shared among many. Similarly, he used his Twitter handle to address critical social issues and engaged with his followers in-depth. He was released on July 8, 2015.

Atnaf Berahane

Atnaf Berahane

 

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Atnaf Berhane has been set free on October 16, 2015!

UPDATE October 16, 2015:  After 539 days in prison, Atnaf Berhane was released from jail.  The Ethiopian Federal High Court the blogger of terrorism charges that were lodged against him in connection with his online activism.

Atnaf Berahane, an IT specialist, blogger, human right activist and co-founder of a bloggers’ organization called Zone 9, was arrested and charged with terrorism-related activities on April 25, 2014. He was detained along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. Although a number of bloggers and journalists were released in July of 2015, Berahane is still behind the bars with an uncertain fate. Berahane has savvy skills on tweeting local news, which helps him to raise the awareness on critical issues. He worked for Addis Ababa City Administration at Bole Sub-City before he was imprisoned.

Befeqadu Hailu

Befeqadu Hailu

 

ETHIOPIA / Detained March 25, 2018

Updates

On March 25, 2018, Hailu was re-arrested along with 11 other human rights activists and journalists. The arrests were carried out while the defenders were attending a private gathering in Addis Ababa at the home of journalist Temesgen Desalegn. The gathering was held in recognition of the recent release of thousands of political prisoners amidst ongoing and widespread protests against political marginalization and land grabbing in the Oromia and Amhara regions which began in late 2015. Hailu, along with fellow Zone9 blogger Mahlet Fantahun was arrested for violating the State of Emergency provisions that forbid gathering en masse and is being held at Gotera-Pepsi Police Station in Addis Ababa.

Prior, Hailu was arrested on April 25, 2014 along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. He was charged with terrorism and attempting to incite violence. During the trial, Hailu reported that he was forced to make false confessions.  On October 16, 2015 Hailu was acquitted of terrorism charges, but was held in prison on charges of inciting violence under the criminal code. Five days later, he was finally set free.

About Befeqadu

Befeqadu Hailu is an IT specialist and a diligent blogger of Zone 9, an Amheric blog run by a group of activists whose motto is: “We blog because we care.” The blog is “mainly aimed at creating an alternative and independent platform of ideas on the socio-political conditions of Ethiopia—in which public discourse will be encouraged.” The name, “Zone 9,” is a play off of the eight zones in Kality Prison, the main jail where Ethiopia’s political prisoners are held. The bloggers refer to the entire country as “Zone 9” because of Ethiopia’s lack of democratic freedoms. In November 2015 the Zone 9 bloggers were awarded the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Hailu has worked as a journalist since 2009 and won the Burt Award for African Literature in 2012.

How can you help?

Spread awareness and stand in solidarity. Share this tweet to amplify Befeqadu’s story.

Upload #SetThemFree campaign graphics featuring Befeqadu to your profiles!

Send direct messages to your local and national governments calling for the release of political prisoners.

Ask local and online newspapers, journalists and writers in your city to highlight the stories of imprisoned activists.

Take photos with your friends with a #SetThemFree sign and the names of activists you want to support. Share them in your social media spaces, and send them to us for us share.

Stay informed about political prisoners by subscribing to Democracy Alerts & Democracy News. Subscribe here and The World Movement for Democracy will make sure you’re emailed the latest updates about political prisoners.

 

Nathnael Feleke

Nathnael Feleke

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Natnael Feleke has been set free on October 16, 2015!

UPDATE October 16, 2015:  After 539 days in prison, Natnael Feleke was released from jail.  The Ethiopian Federal High Court the blogger of terrorism charges that were lodged against him in connection with his online activism.

Nathnael Feleke, an economist who worked for Construction and Business Bank in Addis Ababa and a co-founder of Zone 9, was detained on April 25, 2014. He was arrested with other bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. Due to his deep engagement in civic issues on Facebook and Twitter, the authorities accused him of plotting to incite violence in cooperation with two terrorist organizations. On July 8 and 9, 2015, a number of imprisoned Zone 9 bloggers and journalists were released with charges dropped. However, Feleke remains behind the bars. He was an active member of Ethiopian Economic Association.

Abel Wabela

Abel Wabela

ETHIOPIA / Detained April 25, 2014

Abel Wabela has been set free on October 16, 2015!

UPDATE October 16, 2015:  After 539 days in prison, Abel Wabela was released from jail.  The Ethiopian Federal High Court the blogger of terrorism charges that were lodged against him in connection with his online activism.

Abel Wabela, one of the co-founders of a bloggers’ organization called Zone 9, was imprisoned on April 25, 2014, along with other Zone 9 bloggers and journalists who aim to spread awareness of human rights violations. Accused of committing an act of violent terrorism, he was arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. Although he was beaten and tortured in jail, Wabela refused to sign a prepared confession paper, insisting his innocence. Before his imprisonment, Wabela was an author and translator for Global Voices, an employee of Ethiopian Airlines, and a graduate of Mechanical Engineering. He had been blogging since 2009. On July 8 and 9, 2015, a number of imprisoned Zone 9 bloggers and journalists were released with charges dropped. However, Wabela remains behind the bars to this day.

Seymur Hazi (Haziyev)

Seymur Hazi (Haziyev)

AZERBAIJAN / Detained August 29, 2014

Seymur Hazi (or Haziyev) an Azerbaijani journalist, a reporter for the newspaper Azadliq, a leading anchor for opposition satellite Azerbaijan Saati (Azerbaijani Hour) TV program and a senior politician with the Front Party of Azerbaijan. He is accused of hooliganism. Authorities said that while waiting for a bus on his way to work, Hazi attacked and beat a Baku resident. In January, 2015 he was sentenced to five years in jail. Lend your voice and share a solidarity tweet to help #SetThemFree!

READ MORE

Abdulhadi Al Khawaja

Abdulhadi Al Khawaja

BAHRAIN / Detained April 9, 2011

Bahraini authorities arrested Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, former President and Co-Founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), for his involvement in the country’s peaceful 2011 pro-democracy Pearl Uprising. Three months later, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly organizing and managing a “terrorist organization,” (which most civil society organizations are classified as in Bahrain), and attempting to overthrow the government.

READ MORE

Nabeel Rajab

Nabeel Rajab

BAHRAIN / DETAINED June 13, 2016

Nabeel Rajab is a prominent human rights defender and President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). On June 13, 2016, Bahrain authorities arrested and detained Rajab for the third time since 2014. Nabeel’s health has deteriorated in jail, and on several occasions, he has been denied medical treatment for his heart condition.

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Ahmed Douma

Ahmed Douma

EGYPT / Detained December 3, 2013

Ahmed Douma was a leading figure in the pro-democracy revolution that forced former President Hosni Mubarak to step down.  In December 2013, he was arrested at his home, following a protest organized by the No Military Trials for Civilians campaign in defiance of a new restrictive protest law. The protests was violently dispersed by the police. He was convicted of rioting, inciting violence and attacking security forces. Within days he was sentenced for his participation in illegal protests under the new protest law. In February 2015, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced him to life imprisonment. This was later commuted to 15 years imprisonment.

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Ahmed Douma

Ahmed Douma

MENA Ahmed Douma

EGYPT / Detained December 3, 2013 

UPDATE: On January 9, 2019, Ahmed Douma was sentenced at a retrial to 15 years in prison for rioting and fined $335,000 for his role in a December 2011 protests. His sentence of 25 years was upheld in an appeal in July 2017 but overturned three months later when the Egyptian Court of Cassation ruled in his favor and ordered a retrial.

Ahmed Douma was a leading figure in the pro-democracy revolution that forced former President Hosni Mubarak to step down.  In December 2013, he was arrested at his home, following a protest organized by the No Military Trials for Civilians campaign in defiance of a new restrictive protest law. The protests was violently dispersed by the police. He was convicted of rioting, inciting violence and attacking security forces. Within days he was sentenced for his participation in illegal protests under the new protest law. In February 2015, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced him to life imprisonment.

In October 2017, the Egyptian Court of Cassation ruled in favor of Ahmed Douma’s appeal against his lifelong sentence and ordered a retrial. Moreover, in February 2018 the Maadi Court of Misdemeanors reduced Douma’s three-year prison sentence and fine for insulting the judiciary to a fine. On May 24, the Egyptian Court of Cassation also ordered a retrial in this case.

 

 

 

Nabeel Rajab

Nabeel Rajab

©2011 Conor McCabe. Some Rights Reserved.

BAHRAIN/ RELEASED June 9, 2020

Nabeel Rajab is a prominent human rights defender and President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). On February 21, 2018, Bahrain authorities sentenced Rajab to five years in prison for his criticism on Twitter of Bahrain’s prison conditions and for condemning Saudi Arabia’s role in the war in Yemen.   

UPDATE: Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights lawyer and president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was conditionally released from a Bahraini prison on June 9, 2020. Rajab was arrested in 2016 for televised interviews with the international press during which he discussed Bahrain’s human rights abuses. After already serving for two years, Bahrain’s Criminal Court sentenced Rajab to five-years in prison for his tweets criticizing Bahrain’s prison conditions and condemning Saudi Arabia’s role in the war in Yemen. Rajab will now complete the rest of his prison sentence under house arrest, which is allowed under a 2017 law which states that detainees can complete “alternative” sentences after they have served half of their sentence in prison.

On January 10, 2019, Bahrain rejected a call by the United Nation’s Human Rights Office to free the prominent human rights defender saying that Rajab’s “false tweets” were not protected by his right of freedom of expression. On January 15, 2019, Rajab was informed that all future family visits would be conducted through a glass wall – a procedure normally reserved for violent criminals because of its large psychological impact on the prisoner. Rajab recently lost his appeal to Bahrain’s Supreme Court against his five-year jail term on December 31, 2018.

Nabeel Rajab is a prominent human rights defender and President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). On February 21, 2018, Bahrain authorities sentenced Rajab to five years in prison for his criticism on Twitter of Bahrain’s prison conditions and for condemning Saudi Arabia’s role in the war in Yemen. He was convicted of “disseminating false rumors in a time of war,” “offending a foreign country,” and “insulting a statutory body.” The international community has condemned his sentencing, but there are serious concerns about his health, which has steadily worsened while in jail.

A frequent target of state-sponsored harassment, Rajab was earlier arrested in October 2014 for “insulting the Ministries of Interior and Defense” for a series of Twitter posts in which he accused Bahraini security forces of cooperating with the Islamic State. He was released on bail, but was quickly arrested on new charges concerning Twitter posts about torture practices in Jaw Prison. On June 13, 2016, Bahrain authorities arrested and detained Rajab for the third time since 2014. Nabeel’s health deteriorated during this term, and on several occasions, he was denied medical treatment for his heart condition.

Shortly after this arrest, it came to light that Rajab’s charges were related to his televised interviews with the international press about Bahrain’s human rights abuses, as well as his Twitter posts. Bahrain sentenced him to two years in prison on July 10, 2017. Rajab was charged with making “false or malicious” comments against government authorities and was sentenced in absentia, as he was too ill to attend the hearing and remained in the hospital. His most recent charges were brought against him as a separate case, solely concerning his Twitter commentary. This trial was postponed 20 times, and many feel court procedures were violated by failing to give Rajab’s lawyers enough opportunity to defend him.

On June 5 2018, a Bahraini appeals court ruled that the 5-year prison sentence against human rights activist Nabeel Rajab would be upheld. Rajab himself did not attend the hearing, but his defense team emphasized that due process requirements had been violated. Rajab can now only appeal to Bahrain’s Court of Cassation or be pardoned by Bahrain’s king, Hamad bin Isa Khalifa.

Human rights organizations have united through online campaigns to mobilize support for Rajab, and several members of the European Union and other government leaders have issued statements for his release. Human rights activist and son of Rajab, Adam Nabeel Rajab, recently said: “My father is sacrificing himself to see a country which respects human rights, and he is happy to do that. I’m not exaggerating when I say he is unbreakable.” The European Union (EU) spoke out against Rajab’s sentence in a statement and called for his release, a request later echoed by both the United Nations, the government of Norway, and several civil society organizations.

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

BAHRAIN / Detained April 9, 2011

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Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is the Co-Founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the country’s peaceful 2011 pro-democracy Pearl Uprising for allegedly organizing and managing a “terrorist organization,” (which most civil society organizations are classified as in Bahrain), and attempting to overthrow the government.  

UPDATE: On January 15, 2019, Al-Khawaja and other members of “the Bahrain 13”—the name given to 13 Bahraini opposition leaders, rights activists, bloggers arrested and charged for participating in peaceful demonstrations in 2011—were informed that all future visits by their family will be conducted behind a glass wall—a procedure normally reserved for violent criminals, not prisoners of conscience.

Bahraini authorities arrested Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, former President and Co-Founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) for his involvement in the country’s peaceful 2011 pro-democracy Pearl Uprising. On June 22, 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly organizing and managing a “terrorist organization,” (a designation given to many civil society organizations in Bahrain), and attempting to overthrow the government.

Al-Khawaja initiated a hunger strike to protest new repressive rules imposed upon him and other prisoners at Jaw Prison in spring 2017. In addition to routinely being denied urgent medical treatment, prisoners must now be shackled whenever they leave their cells and are forced to undergo a full body strip. Additionally, prisoners are unable to leave their locked cells for most of the day, limiting their access to toilets. A month later, Al-Khawaja ended his hunger strike due to health complications, but the inhumane conditions at Jaw Prison remain.

Khadija Ismayilova

Khadija Ismayilova

EURASIA Khadija Ismailov2

AZERBAIJAN / Detained December 5, 2014 – May 25, 2016

UPDATE: On January 10, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Azerbaijani government had violated her right to privacy and freedom of expression. She had been released on probation on May 25, 2016, after the court reduced her sentence to a 3.5-year suspended sentence.

Khadija Ismayilova is an investigative journalist and radio host for the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). She also served as a regional coordinator and journalism trainer for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). As an investigative journalist, Khadija uncovered massive levels of corruption involving Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his family.

On December 5, 2014, Khadija was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention for two months. Authorities accused her of inciting a former colleague to commit suicide, alleging that she pressured the editorial staff of RFE/RL not to rehire him. This claim was refuted by Khadija’s editors at RFE/RL.

Khadija’s pre-trial detention was extended repeatedly, until authorities charged her with embezzlement, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and abuse of power in a closed-door trial. On September 1, 2015, Khadija was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.

Prior to her detention, Khadija has been repeatedly targeted by the Azerbaijani government for her investigative work. On March 7, 2012, Khadija received an envelope containing screenshots taken from a video of her engaging in a sexual act with her boyfriend, along with the threat “Whore, refrain from what you are doing, otherwise you will be shamed!” She subsequently discovered several hidden cameras in her apartment. When Khadija publicly replied to the blackmail letter and refused to stop her investigative journalism, the full video was released online on several pro-government websites. The video release put her life in danger—a male relative confronted Khadija with a knife after viewing the video. Khadija noted that “He reacted like all men here would react. He was about to kill me.”

In 2013, Khadija participated in an unsanctioned protest against police abuse. Consequently, the Azerbaijani government detained her and imposed a fine of 500 manat (293 USD) upon her. When she refused to pay the fine, the government assigned her 200 hours of community service by sweeping the streets. After Khadija turned her community service into a public campaign called “Sweeping for Democracy,” the government threatened her with three months of prison if she did not move her required community service to a more private venue, a rehabilitation facility.

Khadija’s arrest received widespread international condemnation, including from the US Department of State, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, and prominent international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

On May 25, 2016, Khadija was released on probation after her sentence was reduced to three and a half years and suspended. She had spent a year and a half in prison.

Khadija continues to be an outspoken advocate against the Azerbaijani government. She called for an investigation into her violation of privacy after the government took intimate videos of her through cameras hidden throughout her apartment. On January 10, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that the Azerbaijani government had violated her right of privacy and freedom of expression, and ordered the government to pay Khadija 15,000 euros as retribution.

Seymur Hazi (Haziyev)

Seymur Hazi (Haziyev)

EURASIA Seymur Hazi

AZERBAIJAN / Detained August 29, 2014

Seymur Hazi (or Haziyev) is an Azerbaijani journalist who has worked as a reporter for leading independent newspaper Azadliq and served as an anchor for opposition satellite TV program Azerbaijan Saati (“Azerbaijani Hour”). He is also a senior politician with the Front Party of Azerbaijan.

On August 29, 2014, Seymur Hazi was attacked at a bus stop during his commute to work. Authorities subsequently arrested him on charges of “hooliganism,” asserting that he had attacked and beat a Baku resident. Although Seymur’s lawyers maintained that he had acted in self-defense, he was sentenced to five years in prison on January 2015. He was then detained in Prison No. 17 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Seymur’s supporters maintain that Seymur is being held on fabricated charges, pointing to the speed with which the police arrived to arrest Seymur as proof that the Azerbaijani authorities had orchestrated the altercation that led to his arrest. As a frequent critic of the Azerbaijani government, Seymur has a long history of being targeted for intimidation. In 2011, Seymur reported that he was abducted and tortured by six masked men, who warned him against further outspoken criticism of the government and confiscated his mobile phone. In an interview, he stated that “they gave me the message that they could put an end to my life whenever they want.”

Seymur has been detained for nearly five years, despite his sentence receiving international condemnation from multiple large international non-governmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch. In 2016, he was awarded the Free Media Award for Independent Journalism from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius for his reporting on corruption and abuse of power in Azerbaijan.

Seymur has been detained for nearly five years. In October 2018, his wife reported that he underwent surgery for his back.

Intigam Aliyev

Intigam Aliyev

AZERBAIJAN / Detained August 8, 2014 – March 28, 2016

UPDATE: Intigam Aliyev was released on probation on March 28, 2016. On September 20, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Azerbaijani government had detained him on politically motivated charges.

Intigam Aliyev is a leading Azerbaijani human rights lawyer and activist. As the founder and head of the Legal Education Society, an organization that provides legal assistance to low-income and marginalized citizens in Azerbaijan, Intigam has defended over 200 clients in the European Court of Human Rights. He received the Homo Homini award in 2012 for his work in human rights.

On August 8, 2014, Intigam was detained in Baku, Azerbaijan and charged with “tax evasion, abuse of office, and illegal entrepreneurship.” Authorities further raided the office of the Legal Education Society, confiscating important case documents and forcing the NGO to close. Intigam was quickly placed in pre-trial detention for three months, where his health deteriorated. On November 7, 2014, his family members reported that Intigam was suffering from violent headaches, loss of appetite, and insomnia.

During Intigam’s trial, observers criticized the authorities for attempting to obstruct media access to the courtroom and for denying Intigam and his lawyers access to case files and documents. On April 22, 2015, Intigam was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. In his closing statement to the court, Intigam stated: “the arrests can take away our freedom, but not our desire for freedom. Our arrest continues our struggle for freedom.” While in prison, Intigam continued to advocate for human rights defenders and political prisoners, representing dozens of political prisoners from behind bars.

Intigam’s imprisonment received widespread international attention. On July 14, 2015, 95 lawyers from 24 countries released a public letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to call for Intigam’s immediate and unconditional release. In October 2014 and October 2015, while imprisoned, Intigam was respectively awarded the Norwegian Helsinki Committee’s Andrei Sarkhov Freedom Award and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Award. He was further honored for his human rights work in February 2016, when the Council of Bar and Law Societies in Europe awarded him their annual Human Rights Award while he was still behind bars.

On March 28, 2016, Azerbaijan’s Supreme Court suspended Intigam’s sentence, citing his health issues. He was released after nearly two years in prison, but is on probation for five years. On April 7, 2016, the Civil Rights Defender organization named Intigam “Civil Rights Defender of the Year.”

On September 20, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Intigam’s arrest was “driven by improper reasons and the actual purpose…was to silence and punish the applicant for his activities in the area of human rights.” The Court ordered the Azerbaijani government to pay Intigam a total of 26,150 euros (29,225 USD).

 

Mikalai Statkevich

Mikalai Statkevich

BELARUS / Detained May 26, 2012

Mikalay Statkevich has been set free on August 22, 2015!

UPDATE: On April 10, 2019, Mikalai Statkevich was handed 15 days of detention for organizing a protest against the governments demolition a mass grave site. Statkevich had called on civil society members to protest the bulldozing of crosses that marked the graves of Belarusians killed by Soviet secret police in the 1930s and 40s.

Former Belarusian presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich was released from prison after being held for nearly five years. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka pardoned him and five others on August 22, 2015.

Mikalai Statkevich ran as an opposition presidential candidate in 2010. He was arrested after attending a peaceful post-election demonstration against election fraud in Minsk. In May 2011, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment for organizing mass disorder. At trial, no proof of violent attacks during the demonstration were presented.

Liu Xiaobo

Liu Xiaobo

ASIA Liu Xiaobo

CHINA / Detained December 8, 2008

UPDATE: In July 2017, Liu Xiaobo died after being denied authorization to leave prison and receive treatment abroad for liver cancer. His wife remains under house arrest.

In June 2016, Liu Xiaobo, Chinese human rights activist and Nobel Peace Laureate, was transferred to a hospital for liver cancer treatment, a condition worsened by his unjust prison sentence. Liu was sentenced to 11-years in prison in 2008 for “inciting subversion” after coauthoring “Charter 08,” which demanded democratic reform. Charter 08 was signed by over 350 Chinese intellectuals and civic leaders. His wife, Liu Xia, stated he was “beyond treatment.” To express solidarity with him, 154 Nobel Laureates signed a letter urging the President of China Xi Jinping to allow Xiaobo and his wife to travel to abroad for medical treatment. On December 8, 2008, before the formal release of Charter 08, he was arrested and police arrived at his home in Beijing and confiscated computers and other materials. He was a recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize and the 2009 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Charged with spreading a message to subvert the country and authority he was sentenced for 11 years in prison. His wife, Liu Xia, was an outspoken supporter of his until she was also detained under house arrest in 2010. Since then, she has had no contact with the outside world having no access to internet, phone, or visitors.

Le Quoc Quan

Le Quoc Quan

VIETNAM / Detained in 2007 and 2013

UPDATE: Le Quoc Quan has been set free on June 27, 2015! A day after his release, he set down for an interview. Read it here.

He was the founder of the Quan and Brothers law firm, which provided legal aid to factory workers and poor people in Vietnam. He was first arrested in March 2007 upon his return to Vietnam after completing a five month fellowship in Washington, DC. He was released in June 2007 only to be arrested again in December, nine days after the BBC published his article criticizing the retention of Article 4 of Vietnam’s Constitution, which makes the Communist Party preeminent in national political life. In October 2013, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced him to 30 months imprisonment.

Leopoldo Lopez

Leopoldo Lopez

VENEZUELA / Detained February 18, 2014

UPDATE: Leopoldo was released from house arrest on April 30, 2019, by the soldiers who were guarding his home. He was detained for more than five years, two of which were under house arrest. He now resides in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, as the Venezuelan president has issued a warrant for his arrest.

Leopoldo Lopez is a prominent Venezuelan activist and lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Chacao district in Caracas, Venezuela for eight years between 2001 and 2008, then went on to found the opposition political party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”) in 2009.

In January 2014, Leopoldo called for peaceful demonstrations to protest government-sponsored violence against dissidents. In response, the Venezuelan government issued an arrest warrant for Leopoldo, accusing him of terrorism, murder and grievous bodily harm, public incitement, arson damages to property and conspiracy to commit crimes. Leopoldo turned himself in to the Venezuelan National Guard five days later on February 18, 2014, declaring “if my imprisonment helps awaken our people…then for me it will have been worth it.”

Leopoldo was subsequently sentenced to 13 years and nine months in prison and held in the maximum security prison Ramo Verde. His sentence was denounced by prominent members of the international community, including Amnesty International, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and then-US president Barack Obama.

While detained in Ramo Verde, Leopoldo was placed in solitary confinement in a room that was seven feet by ten feet for months. After three years of imprisonment in Ramo Verde, Leopoldo was released under house arrest on July 8, 2017, to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

On April 30, 2019, Leopoldo appeared to have escaped from house arrest in a video posted online by Juan Guaido, leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly. In the video, Leopoldo stands behind Guaido as he gives a public address. Reports soon emerged that Leopoldo had been freed by the soldiers who were guarding his home, after they decided to support Guaido.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has issued a warrant for Leopoldo’s arrest. Since May 2, 2019, Leopoldo and his family have been residing in the Spanish embassy in Caracas.

 

Rosmit Mantilla

Rosmit Mantilla

VENEZUELA / Detained May 2, 2014

UPDATE: Rosmit was released from prison on November 18, 2016, after undergoing surgery for severe health issues. He applied for asylum in France and now lives in exile.

Rosmit Mantilla is a Venezuelan activist and politician. He is the first openly gay politician to be elected to the National Assembly of Venezuela.

On May 2, 2014, Rosmit was kidnapped from his home by officials of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN). At the time, he was still a university student but had gained prominence as an outspoken advocate of LGBT rights in Venezuela. Rosmit was accused of funding the anti-government protests that had gripped Venezuela earlier that year, and was subsequently imprisoned in the Helicoide, an infamous SEBIN detention center.

While in prison, Rosmit was elected to the National Assembly as a substitute legislator. However, he was prevented from taking office due to his continued detainment. He was abused in prison, stating “there was not a day in which I wasn’t psychologically mistreated…I spent days and months punished in the basements with no water, no light, no toilet and without taking a shower. I was under permanent verbal harassment, hearing ‘you will be here for 25 years’ all the time.” Rosmit additionally witnessed many of his friends undergo electrocution in prison.

Rosmit began suffering severe health issues after two years in the Helicoide. A gallbladder infection spread to his pancreas, making him so seriously ill that a judge authorized his transfer to a clinic for surgery. However, SEBIN officials dragged him out of the clinic and forcibly returned him to an isolation cell in the Helicoide before he could undergo the procedure. In Rosmit’s words, “they were sentencing me to death.”

After significant outcry from prominent groups in the international community, including Amnesty International and the Vatican, Rosmit was treated for his illness and released from detention on November 18, 2016. He had spent two years and a half in prison.

Today, Rosmit resides in exile in France after being granted asylum in 2017. He continues his political activism in France, appearing before the French Senate to advocate for the release of Venezuela’s political prisoners.

 

Antonio Ledezma

Antonio Ledezma

VENEZUELA / Detained February 19, 2015

UPDATE: On November 17, 2017, Antonio escaped from house arrest and fled to Spain. He now advocates for the release of Venezuela’s political prisoners from outside the country.

Antonio Ledezma is a prominent Venezuelan lawyer and politician. He is the former mayor of Caracas and founder of the political party Alianza Bravo Pueblo (“Fearless People’s Alliance”).

On February 19, 2015, 25 agents from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) stormed Antonio’s office in Caracas and forcibly removed him from the building. Antonio was accused of plotting a coup to bring down Venezuelan President Maduro and subsequently imprisoned in SEBIN headquarters in Plaza Venezuela. He was then placed under house arrest in April 2015 after suffering from health issues.

On August 1, 2017, Antonio was once again forcibly removed and taken to prison by SEBIN officials, this time in retaliation for posting a video denouncing the elections in Venezuela. A neighbor recorded the arrest, screaming “They are taking Ledezma away! They are taking Ledezma away!”

Antonio was returned to house arrest on August 4, 2017. On November 17, 2017, he slipped past his guards and made his way through Colombia, eventually rejoining his family in Spain. He had just marked the 1000th day of his detention.

Antonio continues to advocate for the freedom of Venezuela’s political prisoners from exile.

Daniel Ceballos

Daniel Ceballos

VENEZUELA / Detained March 19, 2014

UPDATE: Daniel Ceballos was released from the Helicoide—an infamous Venezuelan detention center—on June 1, 2018, after being detained for more than four years. However, he is required to appear in court every 30 days and is prohibited from leaving the country.

Daniel Ceballos is a prominent Venezuelan human rights activist, agricultural engineer, and lawmaker. He formerly served as the mayor of San Cristobal in Tachira, Venezuela, and as the leader of the political party Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”).

On March 19, 2014, officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) arrested Daniel for allegedly failing to stop protests in San Cristobal. He was charged with civil rebellion and conspiracy and sentenced to one year in prison. Daniel was detained in maximum security prison Ramo Verde, where prison guards reportedly hurled bags of feces and urine against his window and shut his water and electricity off.

On May 22, 2015, Daniel went on hunger strike along with three other detainees to protest his continued detention after serving his year-long sentence. Daniel was promptly transferred to the July 26 Prison, a general population prison outside of Caracas without the knowledge of his family or lawyer. There, he was placed in solitary confinement and made to sleep on a bed made of cement. After ending his hunger strike on June 11, 2015, he was transferred to the Helicoide, a SEBIN detention center in Caracas.

Daniel was released under house arrest on August 11, 2015, for health reasons. However, SEBIN officials forcibly returned him to the July 26 Prison a year later on August 27, 2016, claiming that Daniel planned to escape to “direct and coordinate acts of violence.” He was then transferred back to the Helicoide.

Daniel spent another two years in prison. In the Helicoide, he was placed in solitary confinement for a continuous period of 52 days. On June 2, 2018, he was released along with 16 other political prisoners, but he is required to appear in court every 30 days and cannot leave Venezuela. He had spent more than four years in detention.

 

Middle East & North Africa

Middle East & North Africa

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Eurasia

Eurasia

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Asia

Asia

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Latin America & Caribbean

Latin America & Caribbean

Sed an hinc illud. An munere inermis iracundia eum, ut omnium adolescens eum, eu dolor iisque commune eos. Modus repudiandae concludaturque his eu. No nihil omnium consulatu vim, mei graece definiebas philosophia te, voluptua convenire an est. Vis an ignota sapientem. An mucius omnium viderer quo, vis at vero quas soluta. Altera voluptatum id vis, euripidis tincidunt mei et. Ex has quot clita impetus, molestiae dissentias cum te, ea sit doctus commodo. Adipisci disputationi id sit, fabellas intellegam quo an, nec ut sanctus euripidis maiestatis. Vis tollit tamquam no. Cu sale delectus periculis eam, pri no mucius detracto ullamcorper.
Yeimi Varela

Yeimi Varela

VENEZUELA / Detained May 1, 2014

UPDATE: Yeimi Varela was released in December 2016 together with other political prisoners in Venezuela. He spent two and a half years in prison.

For 20 years, Yeimi Varela worked as the night watchman for the headquarters of Humano y Libre (“Human and Free”) and Un Mundo sin Mordaza (“A World without Silencing”), two human rights-focused non-governmental organizations based in Venezuela. Humano y Libre provided leadership and community engagement workshops for youths in troubled neighborhoods, while Un Mundo sin Mordaza played an integral role in the 2014 #SOSVenezuela protest movement. However, Yeimi did not play an active role in the organizations’ work.

Late Thursday night on May 2, 2014, officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) conducted a raid on the NGOs’ headquarters for their involvement in “subversive activities.” They took into custody the only person present during the raid: Yeimi.

Yeimi was charged with “associating to commit crimes” and subsequently imprisoned. He was released on December 31, 2016, along with five other student activists. He spent two and a half years in prison.