Yalqun Rozi is a writer, journalist, editor and literary critic. He is the author of several Uyghur-language books, including The Golden Temple in Taklimakan, Secret of Clay Castle, and Philosophy of Life. Dozens of his commentaries and literary critiques have been published in newspapers and magazines, and he was involved in the editing and publication of numerous Uyghur literature textbooks and teaching manuals that were overseen and approved for use in classrooms across Xinjiang by China’s Ministry of Education. 

Rozi was arrested without a warrant at his home in Urumqi, Xinjiang, on 6 October 2016. His arrest took place weeks after he and former colleagues were reportedly summoned to the offices of the state publisher, Xinjiang Education Press, where Rozi had previously served as editorial board member of its Uyghur Textbook Department, for questioning by the authorities over the publication of Uyghur literature and textbooks. Following his arrest, he was repeatedly subjected to interrogations and was unable to contact his family until his formal arrest on 30 December 2016, when he was relocated and held in pre-trial detention for two years without access to medical care or the ability to contact his family. On 3 January 2018, Yalqun Rozi was convicted of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ and sentenced to 15 years in prison.  

Rozi’s imprisonment is emblematic of the Chinese government’s campaign of cultural erasure against Xinjiang’s Uyghur population, which the United Nations views may constitute as crimes against humanity. Rozi is one of hundreds of persecuted Uyghur writers, poets, academics and other cultural figures who together represent the living embodiment of Uyghur culture.  

The persecution of journalists in Venezuela has intensified since the presidential elections on 28 July 2024. PEN International has documented at least ten cases of journalists arbitrarily detained in possible retaliation for their work and the exercise of their freedom of expression, facing baseless charges including “terrorism”, “incitement to hatred”, and “criminal association” — accusations that carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. 

The IACHR, through its ongoing monitoring, has recorded a wide range of violations against freedom of expression in Venezuela. These include arbitrary searches, violence against journalists during protests, the confiscation or revocation of passports belonging to journalists and human rights defenders, extortion, censorship, stigmatisation, and threats by state authorities. The IACHR has also noted the closure of radio stations, restrictions on online content, and extensive digital surveillance. 

In response to these pressures, many journalists have felt compelled to take measures for their own protection, including self-censorship. Numerous media workers have fled the country, further undermining Venezuela’s already fragile independent media sector. 

In the period surrounding the presidential elections on 28 July 2024 — which, according to the Carter Center, failed to meet international standards for electoral integrity and cannot be considered fully democratic — there was a sharp increase in attacks against members of the press. 

Since that time, reports of harassment, detention, and enforced disappearances of journalists have continued. With support from the Venezuelan NGO Espacio Público, PEN International has documented the cases of journalists who have been arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared due to their reporting or for voicing critical opinions about the authorities.