International PEN Writers in Prison Committee

Chair’s Letter
February 2008

Dear Friends,

In this letter:

Ø 7^th International PEN Writers in Prison Committee Conference
Ø Evaluation Questionnaire
Ø Welcome to Algerian PEN WiPC
Ø News from China Campaign: Poetry Relay, “We are Ready for Freedom of Expression”, Freedom of Expression Conference – Hong Kong
Ø Free Expression and Criminal Defamation in Africa Campaign
Ø News from the United Nations Council on Human Rights
Ø Caselist

As we are nearing our 7th International PEN Writers in Prison Conference, Scottish PEN, the London team and myself are very much looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Glasgow from 4 to 6 April 2008. Even though the 15 February deadline for registration has gone by, we can still accommodate a few participants more. Should you or someone else from your Writers in Prison Committee still be able to make it to the Conference, please register as soon as possible.

I would ask you kindly for your cooperation with the evaluation process under way, about which I wrote earlier this month. Please spend some time filling in the attached questionnaire. Your input is invaluable and will help us to direct our future work for the defence of freedom of expression.

Our family of Writers in Prison Committees is still growing. Please welcome with me our friends from Somali-speaking PEN and from Algerian PEN Center. We are very happy to have you with us and wish you much success in your work.

There is always work to be done, and at present the WiPC is focussing mainly on China prior to the 2008 Olympic Games.

If your Center has not already joined the Poetry Relay the idea of which Chip Rolley and Kristin Schnider presented to the Assembly at the Dakar Congress last year, please do so quickly. Chip and Kristin are in the process of putting the Relay of a poem by Chinese writer Shi Tao in multiple translations together and are making very good headway. If you need details beyond those that should have already reached you, do contact either Chip (chiprolley@pacific.net.au) or Kristin (ktschnider@gmx.net) directly.

PEN American, PEN Canada and Independent Chinese PEN have initiated a campaign titled “We Are Ready for Free Expression”. Please visit the PEN American website (www.pen.org) and do participate in the campaign which is counting down to the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Please note: Independent Chinese PEN is coordinating a regional conference on “Press Freedom” to take place in Hong Kong from 30 April to 3 May. For more detail contact: wipc@penchinese.net

In January 2008, with its report on Free Expression, Corruption and Criminal Defamation in Africa, written by WiPC Africa and Americas researcher Tamsin Mitchell, the WiPC in London issued its 6^th report on the topic of criminal defamation and insult. The report can be downloaded from www.internationalpen.org.uk , hard cover copies will be made available on demand. The report has been sent out with recommendations for action, and I encourage as many of you as possible to join. For more details contact: Tamsin.Mitchell@internationalpen.org.uk.

Many of you will know that Fawzia Assaad of Suisse Romande PEN has been monitoring the United Nations Council on Human Rights for some years, alongside other members of her Centre. Attached is her report from the last meeting of the UNCHR in December.

And last, but not least, the latest Case List to 31 December 2007 is also available for downloading at the International PEN website http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.php?pid=33&aid=747&type=current

Thank you so very much.

Special greetings to all of you and see you soon,

Karin Clark

International Chair
Writers in Prison Committee
International PEN



Report of the Resumed sixth session of the United Nations Council on Human Rights

10-14 December 2007

Fawzia Assaad, Suisse Romande PEN

On December 10, in the presence of Mme Arbour, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, the Council celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Celebrations will continue throughout the year to raise awareness.

Then the Council resumed the Review, rationalization and improvements of its mandates. Fifteen documents and 19 written statements by NGOs have been submitted. These include Reports on Sudan, Myanmar, Darfur, the right to health, etc. which were followed by a public debate, the report of Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism raised important issues: among them that there are no definition of terrorism, no norms, no rules. During the debate came news of two explosions in Algeria, killing scores of people. One hit a government building, another the UN office in Algiers, attacks attributed to Al-Qaeda.
government and the UN.

Chinese democracy activist (and former PEN case) Wei Jing Sheng held a press conference in which he presented a statement entitled the “Garbage of the Olympic Games”. Wei urged his friends to press the IOC and demand that the Chinese Government keep the promises it made in order to obtain the 2008 Olympic Games: improving human conditions in China, release political prisoners, allowing free speech, take down the photo of Mao Zedong that hangs on the Gate of Eternal Peace in Tiananmen Square and replace it with the Olympic Emblem of 5 rings among others. A petition was addressed to the president of the International Olympic Games, Jacques Rogge was circulated at this meeting.

A consultative Council of 18 experts is currently being formed which will carry out “studies” and “enquiries” into human rights abuses. This group will replace the work of what had been previously been the sub-commission on Human Rights. [For more about the UNCHR go to its website http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil

The seventh session is scheduled of the UNCHR March 3-28 , 2008


Fawzia Assaad
December 2007