SetThemFree Campaign Updates

CUBA: On January 21, 2017, artist Danilo “El Sexto” Maldonado was released from El Combinado del Este prison after enduring psychological and physical torture during his 55 days of detainment. Cuban authorities arrested El Sexto after he graffitied “se fue” (he’s gone) on a public wall in reference to the passing of former Cuban President Fidel Castro. El Sexto is an outspoken critic of the Castro regime and was also arrested two years ago without charges following his peaceful art demonstration. His initial detainment prompted two Cuban activists to enter their #FreeElSexto Libertad para Danilo song into the #SetThemFree song contest, which called for his release.

ETHIOPIA: Dr. Merera Gudina, Ethiopian scholar and chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), is in his second month of solitary confinement in Maekelawi prison. Since his arrest, Dr. Gudina has testified and defended himself against terrorism allegations. During Dr. Gudina’s most recent hearing, the court gave prosecutors an additional 28 days to prepare their case against him, allowing them to access most of his emails and banking information in search of evidence. Join us in speaking up for Dr. Gudina by sharing our solidarity tweet calling for his release. Read the DemocracyALERT for Dr. Gudina.

SUDAN: The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) recently released a statement calling upon the Sudanese government to drop charges against the imprisoned Sudanese activists Khalafalla Al-Afif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam, and Midhat A. Hamdan. The three activists worked at the Centre for Training and Human Development in Sudan (TRACKs), which has been raided twice by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) authorities. The World Movement for Democracy joins the OMCT in urging them to unconditionally release the arbitrarily detained TRACKs activists. Read the DemocracyALERT for the TRACKs activists.

AZERBAIJAN: Former political prisoner and Azerbaijani investigative reporter, Khadija Ismayilova, has been awarded the 2016 World Press Freedom Prize. Every year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes a person or organization that has defied hardships in their efforts to support press freedom with the award. The World Movement for Democracy congratulates Ismayilova and draws attention to Azerbaijani activists Seymur Hazi (Haziyev), Ilgar Mammadov and over 100 others who remain political prisoners in the country.

BAHRAIN: On December 28, 2016, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, was rearrested by Bahraini authorities after being briefly released earlier that day. His latest arrest was due to a separate ongoing criminal investigation in connection to his TV appearances on channels owned by networks that “support the Bahraini opposition.” Rajab has been detained since June 2016, and his health has precipitously deteriorated during his imprisonment. We join the international community in urging the government of Bahrain, as signatories to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to unconditionally release Rajab and respect the human rights of all Bahraini people. Read the DemocracyALERT for Rajab.