Kazakh poet Aron Atabek was sentenced to two years in solitary confinement in 2012 for writing a book that criticises President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Since we launched our campaign in August 2013 to have Atabek released from solitary confinement, PEN centres have been lobbying their governments and respective ambassadors to Kazakhstan, asking them to raise Atabek’s case with the Kazakh government. Some members have written directly to Atabek in prison.
Recently, Atabek was able to respond to a letter of support sent by Sascha Feuchert from German PEN. Please read his personal message and a poem written especially for German PEN below.
Tell us what your centre is doing for Aron Atabek.
Source: Pen-international.org