Ongoing Repressions of Women Writers ; and Appeals

international | crime and justice | other press

Wednesday January 23, 2008 11:42

by C Murray

Campaigns.Archives.Cross-Postings.

I have received over two years consistent appeals by Women's Writer's Unions for aid in advertising
repressions of Women Writers , some of the appeals have gone on the Newswire; and some have been passed
on to to groups where the campaign would be more effective. The plight of the writers has not in that period
alleviated and some are in dire situations. This morning another one arrived, an archive update of the
2007 Women's Day attempt to highlight the cases of imprisoned Women Writers and activists.

All their names are familiar, Amnesty, Human Right's Watch, Reporters Without Borders, International Women In Media
Federation, Committee for the Protection of Journalists and PEN Women's Union have advocated on their cases.

Links to the ongoing cases of Journalist and activist repression:-between Women's day 2007-2008.

Serkalem Fasil- Ethiopia

Anna Politkovskaya:- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78988

Murdered in Moscow, October 2006, her case is ongoing, but the criticisms of the arrest and detention of
suspects are getting louder.

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Lydia Cacho Riberio:-http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site/07112104-Succar-Kuri-....html . http://libertadlatina.org .

Amnesty US and IWMF have advocated on Lydia's behalf for a considerable period, she had been writing on
corruption and official types promoting child-sex tourism and abuse of indigenous women and children.

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Umida Niyazova-

There has been little update on the case of Umida, who was reported in 2007 incarcerated in Uzbekistan on a three
month pre-trial detention order for illegal border crossing and having subversive literature. She had covered the 2005
Andajan massacre.
http://internationalpen.org.uk/index.php?pid=33&aid=559...rn=33
http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/europe/uzbek/13feb07na.html

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Serkalem Fasil:-

Ongoing case, last update Serkalem was imprisoned in Ethiopia whilst pregnant. She delivered prematurely
and the prison authorities disallowed incubation, the baby (a boy) survived and is in the care of grandparents.
Serkalem's husband is also a journalist and imprisoned.Her case has been ongoing for some time, there
is a wiki link somewhere..
http://blogs.amnesty.org/blogs/write4rights/2006/11/28/....html

info:- http://www.iwmf.org
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Elif Shafak
Ipek Calisar

Turkish writers who have faced repressions under 'Insult Laws' for writing as novelists (cf O. Pamuk on this issue).

Khai Thanh Thuy;- Vietnam.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/02/06/vietna15277_txt.htm

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Updates Include;-
Lydia Cacho has endured more death threats and a car bomb attack.

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Evin:--Prison.

This has been covered extensively on the Newswire by other writers:-

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85517
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85237
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85202

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Resources for women writers;- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83846

Links Include:--

IMC have a feminist list/outreach/chat service.

Reporters Without Borders do a Press Freedom report:- http://www.rsf.org

IWMF do writing scholarships and support for women writers:- http://www.iwmf.org

Isis women do community radio/internet/ifex ;- http://www.isiswomen.org

LinuxChix- do linux/gnu/feminist stuff

Genderchangers do Free Open Software and can be contacted thru;- http://www.europeanfeministforum.org .