HCA Vanadzor is inviting you to write letters of appeal in support of the writers imprisoned for their political views
13:36, November 16, 2017 | Announcements, Own | Detention Facilities
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”
On November 15th, the annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer takes place, acknowledging authors, journalists and all those, who faced unjust imprisonment, attacks or harassment as a result of their resistance against the repression of their right to freedom of expression. First implemented in 1981, by PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, the day is used to promote literary culture and the right to express oneself freely. It draws the public’s attention to persecuted and imprisoned individuals and their circumstances by selecting five cases from all over the world each year, and telling their story of repression. In addition, the general public is encouraged to show support, either in form of donations or letters of appeal, on behalf of the selected writers.
Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly Vanadzor invites everyone interested to stop by at the office at 5.00 pm from November 16 to December 1, to write letters in support of the chosen authors and journalists of this year’s International Day of the Imprisoned Writer. This year’s list of writers:
- Cesario Alejandro Félix Padilla Figueroa – Honduras
- Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh – Vietnam
- Ramón Esono Ebalé, alias Jamón y Queso – Equatorial Guinea
- Razan Zaitouneh – Syria
- Zehra Doğan – Turkey
You can’t find time, to make it to the office? No worries, take action right here, right now:
http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/take-action-day-of-the-imprisoned-writer-2017/
As this day also emphasizes the importance and impact of literature, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor decided, to make use of this day, by announcing its starting book collection for libraries in penitentiary facilities. Being a human rights and peace building organization, it conducts regular monitoring in semi-closed and closed institutions, including detention facilities. During its monitoring, the organization discovered a lack of variety in the stocks of libraries in penitentiary facilities, which largely contain outdated literature and hardly offer books in different languages. In order to ameliorate the assortment, the idea of a book collection was initiated, accumulating novels in foreign languages to expand the library stocks. The organization is looking for books in foreign languages such as Georgian, English, Farsi, etc. Collection boxes and drop off spots are at the office of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor as well at HCAV representative office in Yerevan.
So, in case you happen to have some lonely books… Well, then take them along on a ride, and drop them off at our beloved office!
Should further questions arise, please contact
7piaseven@gmail.com (Pia Winter) and felzumka@gmail.com (Eva Jašková) if you’re an English-speaking person
nyeganyan@hcav.am (Narine Yeganyan) if you speak Armenian.
For details see HERE