Write For Rights 2020
Across the world, people’s lives and freedoms are under threat. Women are sexually assaulted. LGBTI activists are targeted for who they are. Young people are locked up just for expressing their opinions. Peaceful protestors are beaten and shot at. And people who defend the environment are harassed and intimidated.
METU PRIDE DEFENDERS, TURKEY
PROSECUTED FOR CELEBRATING LGBTI RIGHTS
From day one, biology students Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür dedicated themselves to defending lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) rights at their university. As members of the LGBTI+ Solidarity Group, they have organized campus Pride marches successfully for years. But in May 2019, the university banned the planned march and called the police to disperse the peaceful sit-in. Despite simply exercising their right to peaceful protest, 18 students and an academic are now on trial.
Nassima al-Sada, SAUDI ARABIA
Locked up for demanding women’s rights
For much of her life, Nassima al-Sada has campaigned for women’s freedom in Saudi Arabia. Now, she’s lost her own. She’s one of 13 prominent female activists prosecuted for demanding women’s right to drive and the right to carry out their daily business without the permission of a male ”guardian”. Since her arrest in July 2018, she has been locked up, enduring ill-treatement and solitary confinement – all for her peaceful efforts to defend women’s rights.
KHALED DRARENI, ALGERIA
JAILED FOR HIS JOURNALISM
Khaled Drareni believes in principled journalism. He’s made a point of covering the Hirak protest movement, which embraces freedom and respect for rights and liberties. Like many young Algerians, Khaled sees the Hirak movement as a chance to build a fairer, better Algeria. But this has placed him at odds with the authorities. They’ve arrested him many times, most recently in March 2020. Khaled is in prison, simply for doing his job.
Your letters, words and actions will put pressure on decision-makers to change things for good. With your help, governments and companies will be held to account. Prisoners of conscience will be released. And more people will be free to live their lives in safety