José Rubén Zamora Marroquín (Guatemala), Narges Mohammadi (Iran), Server Mustafayev (Ukraine), and Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe) are the faces and voices of the Day of the Imprisoned Writer 2022, PEN International’s annual campaign on behalf of writers who are imprisoned or facing persecution. These four cases are emblematic of the type of threats and attacks writers and journalists around the world are often subjected to, for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.

José Rubén Zamora Marroquín

Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora has been imprisoned since July 2022 in relation to his investigations into corruption within the Guatemalan government. PEN International calls on the Guatemalan authorities to release Zamora and end all criminal proceedings against him immediately and unconditionally.

Tsitsi Dangarembga

Tsitsi Dangarembga is an award-winning Zimbabwean writer, activist, and a founding member of PEN Zimbabwe. Arrested in July 2020 while peacefully protesting government corruption, she was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment – suspended for 5 years – and a fine in September 2022. PEN International calls on the Zimbabwean authorities to drop all charges against her, and end the campaign of harassment against her.

Server Mustafayev

Server Mustafayev is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist, human rights defender, and founder of the Crimean Solidarity movement. Arrested in 2018, he is currently being kept behind bars in the Russian Federation on politically motivated ground. PEN International calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Narges Mohammadi

Imprisoned Iranian writer and human rights defender Narges Mohammadi faces a total of 10 years imprisonment, 150 lashes, and a 12 million Iranian Rial fine, in what we believe is a breach of her right to freedom of expression. Today, on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we call on the Iranian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally.