GUIDE Activism In Prison

This brief guide was put together in 2017 to assist There are risks, of course. Retribution is possible. human rights activists who are at risk of being jailed. After Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab Rachel Lehr and Emily Sherwood at Case Western had articles published in international media he’d Reserve University Law School were the lead written from prison he was charged with new researchers under the supervision of Law Professor offenses as a result. Avidan Cover. In Egypt, prisoner Ahmed Said penned a letter This guide is split into two parts. The first section about his political beliefs and his commitment to offers an overview of some techniques used by advocating for human rights. Ahmed wrote that his activists to help themselves and help others while false imprisonment would not deter him from they are in detention. The second section describes continuing to call for democracy in Egypt. This letter specific activists’ experiences. was smuggled out of the prison and published on Amnesty International’s website. Other human rights What follows has been compiled through interviews organizations saw Ahmed’s letter and shared it on and secondary source research. Our list of their sites. techniques is not exhaustive, nor is it intended to be a comprehensive manual for how activists might In Cameroon, Enoh Meyomesse used his writing to cope in jail, but should be considered a modest advocate for fellow prisoners. Meyomesse wrote an attempt to initiate a discussion and to prompt further essay describing the prison conditions that was useful examples or ideas for coping strategies or shared via PEN international. It drew attention to advocacy techniques. We are not endorsing or corruption of the prison officials, the extortion of the suggesting that activists embark on any of these if prisoners, and their unsanitary conditions. jailed. All of the techniques carry risk, and in the Meyomesse also contributed to PEN’s Books for case of hunger striking, extreme risk. But we hope Prisoners Campaign, which advocates for UK this guide will encourage activists with experience of prisoners to be able to receive books in the post being in jail to share useful ideas with others from friends and family members, by writing a piece that supported the initiative. If you have suggestions for additions to this report please email [email protected]. In Azerbaijan, Ilgar Mammadov wrote a letter explaining how the extraction of fossil fuel was Prison Writing connected to the detention of Azerbaijani political While it is impossible for all activist to write while in prisoners. The letter was published by prison, many do. Some concentrate on their prison “nopolitcalprisoners.org”, a site run by the experiences while others find ways to continue Norwegian Helsinki Committee and available at advocating on the issues they worked on before [email protected]. being jailed.

1 GUIDE

In Azerbaijan, Khadija Ismayilova was able to write information for international human rights from prison. She says she had five lawyers organizations. throughout her term in jail, and would give each a In Azerbaijan, Khadija Ismayilova helped those she few sentences to remember. Then the lawyers would felt were unfairly imprisoned write their applications meet to piece the writing together. Ismayilova would to the court and asked her lawyers to help as well. also write pieces to the court as legal motions, She would also pressure doctors to help prisoners saying they were related to her case. She knew that who fainted or who had severe medical conditions the judge would never read what she wrote but by “making a lot of noise about it.” Ismayilova says would dismiss them and turn them over directly to she prevented several suicides. her lawyers who could then deliver them to the press. Building Relationships within In Turkey, novelist Asli Erdogan spent 132 days in Prison prison because she was connected to a pro-Kurdish Some prisoners maintained that establishing a civil newspaper. While in jail she wrote a letter to PEN relationship with prison staff and prison spies can describing Turkey’s suppression of other journalists. de-escalate dangerous or tense situations and PEN published the letter on their website. enable the activist to carry out a level of advocacy. In the United States of America, Mohamedou Ould In the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Mansoor said Slahi wrote a book about his experiences, he always made a point to be civil with prison guards Guantanamo Diary. With the help of his lawyer, he and officials, saying that trying to remain pleasant was able to publish a redacted version of it while still and never raising his voice to guards made them detained. easier to deal with over time. He also said he tried to Advocacy on Behalf of Other befriend those sent to spy on him. Some admitted Prisoners they were informers and agreed to pass false information to the authorities. Prisoner advocacy takes a variety of forms, including In Azerbaijan, Khadija Ismayilova said that while writing to highlight conditions, but here we include she did her best to remain civil to the Azerbaijani more direct advocacy. Some activists bring skills into prison staff, she refused to ever ask for or accept prison other prisoners don’t have. Jailed lawyers can favors. She also told her cell mates soon after she help fellow inmates fill out forms and paperwork, arrived in prison that they should feel free to report medics can help sick prisoners who have not anything they see her doing to the prison officials if received adequate medical attention. they would benefit from passing information. In Egypt, surgeon Ahmed Said was able to conduct In Iran, Nasrin Sotoudeh and other women prisoners medical exams and provide diagnoses to fellow heard that Hoda Saber, a human rights activist, died inmates, who were often denied medical assistance from a heart attack during a hunger strike. Saber by prison officials. was imprisoned in the men’s ward and many of his In the United Arab Emirates, activist Ahmed fellow inmates continued to hunger strike. Sotoudeh Mansoor used his law school experience to educate and the other women grew very concerned for the his fellow inmates on the UAE legal systems and men’s health and safety and wrote the men a letter help them to write defendant statements. He also urging an end to their hunger strikes. They sent the helped prisoners who had been tortured to letter through the prison’s mail system, which the document their experiences, and gave them contact

2 GUIDE authorities intercepted, and demanded to know who family or friends. Another method involved wrote the letter. handwriting statements and smuggling them out in other inmates’ legal documents. The ward’s security officer interrogated and threatened the women in an attempt to learn who In Turkey, Asli Erdogan wrote to PEN International wrote the letter. A group of 30 women prisoners about Turkey’s suppression and mistreatment of interrupted the interrogation. When he asked who journalists. Once published on PEN’s website, wrote the letter, Sotoudeh asked him, “Is that a Erdogan’s letter also allowed her to connect with question we must answer?” The officer said no. and thank her supporters. Sotoudeh told him that they would not be answering his question. The women left and none of them was Hunger Strikes punished. The letter was later smuggled into the Hunger striking remains a controversial and men’s ward. dangerous method of activism. Some human rights Utilizing Media defenders use it as a tactic of last resort. Some prisoners report an improvement in conditions after Contacting outside media to expose prison their hunger strikes, others do not. conditions or to advocate for outside issues can be In Iran, in response to the arrest of her attorney, her an enormously effective, if dangerous, activity. being forcibly subjected to a “virginity test,” and Some prisoners leak statements via their family or verbal abuse from a prison guard, Atena Farghadani lawyers. This technique relies on the human rights began a hunger strike. On the fourth day of refusing defender having friends, family, or lawyers willing to food and water, Farghadani received emergency assist in smuggling out information. This technique medical treatment for low blood pressure. is most effective when the human rights defender is Farghadani’s request for a transfer to another prison fairly well-known before their imprisonment or if a was approved and she ended the strike. well-known organization or publication is willing to give the human rights defender a platform. Self-Care and Coping

In Iran Atena Daemi is still serving her original Mechanisms sentence but stays in touch with the media through Attending to self-care is a prerequisite for effective her mother who has been giving interviews on her advocacy in and out of prison. Jail presents a new behalf. Daemi has also successfully smuggled out set of challenges for activists including pressures on letters explaining the violent and illegal mental health. circumstances of her arrest. In Egypt, Ahmed Said and his fellow detainees In Bahrain, prominent human rights defenders distracted themselves from prison life by playing Zainab Al Khawaja, Nabeel Rajab, Mahdi Abu Deeb, chess with pieces they made from soap. Ali Alekry and others have all managed to have In Libya, Jaballa Matar coped with the stress of pieces published in the international media to prison by frequently reciting poetry. highlight their country’s repression. In China, Peter Dahlin was kept in solitary In the United Arab Emirates, five detainees confinement and interrogated in one of China’s charged together leaked statements to international secret prisons. To keep his mind occupied he recited media and human rights organizations about the the lyrics to his favorite songs and did basic details of their unfair trial. They used another calisthenics exercises. inmate’s phone card and dictated statements to

3 GUIDE

In Iran Atena Farghadani coped by making art with Enoh Meyomesse improvised supplies. COUNTRY/REGION: Cameroon

Personal Stories ACTIVITY: Writing

Ahmed Said DESCRIPTION: Enoh Meyomesse was detained for three and a half years, from 2011 to 2015, for his COUNTRY/REGION: Egypt political activism and the views that he expressed in ACTIVITY: Letter writing, social media advocacy his writings. While imprisoned, Meyomesse used his DESCRIPTION: Ahmed Said was arrested under writing to advocate for the rights of others. false pretenses and sentenced to two years’ Meyomesse wrote an essay describing the prison imprisonment for attending a non-violent protest. conditions that was been shared via PEN international. Meyomesse’s essay drew attention to Letter Writing the corruption of the prison officials and the extortion While imprisoned, Said penned a letter about his of the prisoners as well as the unsanitary conditions. political beliefs and his commitment to advocating Meyomesse also contributed to PEN’s Books for for human rights. Ahmed wrote that his false Prisoners Campaign, which advocates for U.K. imprisonment would not deter him from continuing to prisoners to be able to receive books in the post call for democracy in Egypt. This letter was from friends and family members, by writing a piece smuggled out of the prison and published on that supported the initiative. Amnesty International’s website. Other human rights organizations saw Ahmed’s letter and shared it on Asli Erdogan their own sites. COUNTRY/REGION: Turkey Social Media Advocacy ACTIVITY: Prison Writing/Letter Writing Said’s family and friends kept Said’s wrongful imprisonment in the public eye and highlighted DESCRIPTION: Asli Erdogan, a successful novelist, human rights abuses in Egypt in general by using spent 132 days in prison because she was the hashtag “#freeahmedsaid” on social media. connected to a pro-Kurdish newspaper. While Said’s family members also gave interviews to imprisoned, she wrote a letter to PEN describing international journalists. Said was eventually Turkey’s suppression of other journalists. Erdogan pardoned and released from jail, perhaps in part due addressed the letter to Millie Rode, the Secretary to the pressure social media and news outlets General of Danish PEN, and PEN published the placed on the Egyptian government. letter on their website. Medical Exams for Other Prisoners Coping Mechanisms: Erdogan emphasized in her Said is a surgeon and was able to give medical letter how much she appreciated the “voices that exams as well as diagnoses to his fellow inmates, reach [her] from the outside in the forms of letters, who were often denied medical assistance by prison postcards, and solidarity events. She described officials. these as her “only tie to life.” Erdogan also received books from her lawyers and mailed to her by her Coping Mechanisms: Said kept his mind occupied friends that she drew comfort from while she was in by playing games; he and other inmates carved solitary confinement. chess pieces out of soap.

4 GUIDE

Ahmed Mansoor reached a compromise with prison officials that allowed them to wear handcuffs and their prison COUNTRY/REGION: UAE uniforms but not wear leg shackles. ACTIVITY: Negotiation with prison officials, Demands to the Court demands to the court, issuing statements, prisoner At every hearing Mansoor and the other UAE Five education, government advocacy, hunger strike, would present a list of lawful demands to the court. nonconfrontational methods. At the time of wiring, in The demands included: launching an investigation May 2017, Ahmed Manor is back in jail after having into the death threats that Mansoor had received, been arrested on March 20, 2017 making the hearings public, and providing them DESCRIPTION: Ahmed Mansoor is a vocal access to case documents. After the judge refused advocate for democratic reform in the UAE who was to act on these demands, the UAE Five left the court held for eight months in 2011 until he received a room and refused to participate in all subsequent presidential pardon. Throughout his detention, hearings. Mansoor and other members of the UAE Five Issuing Statements advocated for their rights and the rights of other In order to gain publicity and put pressure on the prisoners using the following methods: UAE government, Mansoor and the other UAE Five Negotiation with Prison Officials leaked statements about their harassment and their n Wrote Letters to Prison Officials belief that they were not receiving a fair trial to Mansoor wrote letters to prison officials asking to be international media and human rights organizations. treated like other prisoners which entailed being In order to get information out of the prison, they allowed to play sports, have visits without police used another inmate’s calling card and dictated escorts, and utilize the prison library. statements to family or friends. Another method involved handwriting statements and smuggling n Refused Transfers them out in other inmates’ legal documents. Prison officials transferred the UAE Five without Prisoner Education warning multiple times to socially isolate them and Before being detained, Mansoor was a second-year prevent them from maintaining physiological stability. law student. He used his legal knowledge to educate Mansoor and the other UAE Five eventually told his fellow inmates on the UAE legal system. He prison officials that they refused to be transferred assisted them in writing defendant statements. again and would have to be transferred by force in Additionally, he helped prisoners who had been the future. Subsequently, they met with a managing tortured document their experiences. Mansoor also prison official who agreed to stop the arbitrary gave these inmates the contact information for transfers. international human rights organizations so they n Court Presentation could publicize their abuse. The families of the UAE Five informed them that the Government Advocacy media would be present at one of their hearings. To After their case gained international notoriety, a create better press coverage, the prison attempted government-run human rights association visited the to take the UAE Five to the hearing in their everyday UAE Five during their sixth month of detention. The clothing despite having taken them to prior group refused to meet with the organization and proceedings in both arm and leg shackles. Mansoor instead insisted that the organization look into the and the other UAE Five refused to be taken to court prison’s forced labor program, stating that this would in their everyday civilian clothing. Eventually, they demonstrate to the general population that the

5 GUIDE human rights association could be effective. The been giving interviews on her behalf. Daemi has organization agreed and the next day the prison also had has successfully smuggled out letters released a statement that inmate workers would be explaining the violent and illegal circumstances of paid for their labor. Prisoners were, however, paid her arrest. only a nominal amount. Gevorg Safaryan Non-Confrontational Methods n General Manner COUNTRY/REGION: Armenia When interacting with prison officials and guards, ACTIVITY: Allowing his lawyer to speak to the media Mansoor always remained civil and pleasant. He DESCRIPTION: Gevorg Safaryan, an activist and stated that he did not have issues with these people member of a political opposition group, was arrested as individuals but could not just stand by while his when the Armenian police tried to disperse a rights were violated. gathering in a public square. Safaryan’s lawyer has n Treatment of Spies and Officials spoken publicly about the legal details of the case and the misconduct of the Armenian courts. Mansoor tried to remain friendly and courteous to his Safaryan’s lawyer insists that Safaryan was not fellow inmates. Eventually he became very close given a fair trial; the court was biased against him with an inmate who disclosed that he had been told and arbitrarily refused to let the defense call by prison officials to write reports on Mansoor’s witnesses. They have started the appeals process. activities and communications. Mansoor was able to These public statements allow human rights uncover other spies and convince them to feed the organizations to publicize not only Safaryan’s case government false information. but the human rights abuses and violations of due Atena Daemi process perpetrated by the Armenian government. COUNTRY/REGION: Iran Peter Dahlin

ACTIVITY: Suing IRGC intelligence organization; COUNTRY/REGION: China Reaching Out to the Media COPING MECHANISM: Reciting lyrics, exercise DESCRIPTION: Atena Daemi was sentenced to 7 DESCRIPTION: Peter Dahlin is a Swedish national years in prison for making Facebook posts that were and founding member of The Chinese Urgent Action critical of the Iranian government and for attending Working Program, an organization that aimed to give peaceful protests. legal and financial assistance to human rights Legal Recourse defenders in China. On January 3, 2017 he was While still imprisoned, Daemi filed suit against the arrested under suspicion of endangering national IRGC Intelligence Organization of Iran for “violent security then detained and interrogated for 23 days and illegal means of arrest”. The Iranian government in a secret prison near Beijing. Dahlin was kept in retaliated by pressing additional charges against solitary confinement, which began to have negative her, but Daemi has been acquitted of these charges. effects on his mental health. In order to keep his As of January 19, 2017, no action has been taken mind occupied he tried to recite lyrics to his favorite on Daemi’s excessive force complaint. songs and did basic calisthenics exercises. Reaching Out to the Media Daemi is still serving her original sentence but stays in touch with the media through her mother who has

6 GUIDE

Atena Farghadani for causes that have ranged from the prisoners’ right participation in recreational activities with the COUNTRY/REGION: Iran women’s unit to the right if prisoners to wear ACTIVITY: Art and Hunger Strike women’s clothing to the removal of abusive guards. DESCRIPTION: Atena Farghadina is an artist and Khadija Ismayilova open critic of the Iranian government’s treatment of COUNTRY/REGION: Azerbaijan women and anti-birth control policies. Art ACTIVITY: Prison Writing, Relationship Management, Advocacy on Behalf of Other Farghadina was first arrested in 2014 after drawing Prisoners cartoons that depicted Iranian parliament members as animals. She continued to make art during her DESCRIPTION: Khadija Ismayilova was arrested for year of imprisonment. She improvised art materials writing in opposition to the Azerbaijani government. by deconstructing disposable cups to use as canvas. Prison Writing Her artwork and improvised supplies were eventually Ismayilova was also able to write from prison. While confiscated. Ismayilova was unwilling to talk about her best Hunger Strike techniques because there is a risk she will be Farghadani was arrested again in 2015 for insulting imprisoned again, she did expand on two ways she the supreme leader of Iran when she spoke out would smuggle her writing outside of the prison. about the deplorable conditions in Iranian prisons. At Ismayilova had five lawyers throughout her a hearing, Farghadani shook hands with her male incarceration, and she would give each a few attorney, which lead to him being briefly arrested sentences to remember. Then the lawyers would and her being forcibly subjected to a “virginity test.” meet to piece the writing together. Ismayilova would Farghadani began a hunger strike in protest of the also write pieces in court, saying that they were a exam and verbal abuse from prison guards. On the motion. Ismayilova knew that the judge never read fourth day of refusing food and water, Farghadani her motions so the writings would be handed to the received emergency medical treatment for low blood judge, immediately dismissed, and then handed pressure. Farghadani’s request for a transfer to directly to the lawyer who could then deliver them to another prison was approved and she ended the the press. strike. Relationship Management Karla Avelar n Treatment of Fellow Prisoners Ismayilova developed relationships with her fellow COUNTRY/REGION: El Salvador inmates by avoiding judging them for past ACTIVITY: Petitions, prison grievances indiscretions and always lending a listening ear. At one point during her imprisonment, the government DESCRIPTION: Avelar, a trans woman, was imprisoned between 1996 and 2000. Throughout her told the press that Ismayilova was attempting to eliminate prisoner benefits. This news eventually time in prison, Avelar was abused and raped reached the prisoners, and Ismayilova was nearly repeatedly. After her release, Avelar filed several grievances with El Salvador’s Human Rights attacked several times. Knowing that she would always be the weakest in any fight, Ismayilova would Ombudsman that eventually led to the creation of a respond to aggression using a quiet voice so that separate prison housing unit for trans women and gay men. Avelar has also used petitions to advocate her fellow prisoners would have ti lower their own voices to hear her. She would then explain that the

7 GUIDE prisoner had been deceived. The government tried documentary proof when speaking to prison again to incite violence by telling the press that management was important. Ismayilova was secretly Armenian. This effort failed Advocacy on Behalf of Other Prisoners largely because Ismayilova had by the time formed Ismayilova also advocated for the rights of other strong relationships with her fellow prisoners. prisoners. Ismayilova helped those who she felt Ismayilova credits her survival in prison to the help were unfairly imprisoned write their applications to and advice she received from her fellow inmates. the court and often asked her lawyers to help as Because she had a relatively easy life previously, well. She would also force doctors to help prisoners their knowledge of the prison hierarchy and its that fainted or that had severe medical conditions by unique culture was invaluable. “making a lot of noise about it.” Ismayilova also n Treatment of Spies prevented several suicides. One of the original false Ismayilova also treated her fellow inmates well charges against her had been that she incited because several of them were spies for the prison suicide, so Ismayilova would joke with suicidal management. Upon entry to her cell, Ismayilova told prisoners that if they killed themselves then she her cellmates that if spying on her would help them would be blamed. Ismayilova would also give receive better treatment, then they had her prisoners hope, telling those addicted to drugs that permission to report her actions. Ismayilova claims this would be a chance for them to build a new life that this made the spies feel guilty, and, as a result, for themselves. she was able to leak false information. For example, Coping Mechanisms: Ismayilova used humor to Ismayilova had a spy tell prison officials that she was cope with her situation. Ismayilova smiled smuggling her writing in her sanitary pads. Then, continuously and used her positive attitude to while she was on her period, a guard was forced to confuse prison officials. Ismayilova advises other search her used pad only to find nothing hidden prisoners to “enjoy every difficulty.” inside. Iran—While imprisoned, Nasrin Sotoudeh and the n Treatment of Prison Officials other women in her ward collectively wrote a letter to Ismayilova was extremely stern with prison the men’s ward. The prison officials intercepted the management, and emphasized repeatedly that she letter and began interrogating inmates about it. Upon found it important to never ask the prison officials for learning of the interrogations, a group of thirty anything. Ismayilova is extremely afraid of heights, women went to the security officer. They stood in and she slept for months on a top bunk, sacrificing solidarity and interrupted the interrogation that the her sleep, to avoid asking the prison officials for a officer was conducting. When he asked who wrote “favor.” Ismayilova refused to ask for improvements the letter, Sotoudeh asked him, “Is that a question to her own situation; she would only ask for we must answer?” The officer said no, the women improvements on behalf of others. After publishing collectively refused to answer. The women left and her first article from prison, Ismayilova was put in none of them were punished. The letter was later solitary confinement. When she was brought to the smuggled into the men’s ward. Had the women not warden, Ismayilova told him that she did not want to stood together, at least one of them would have be removed from solitary confinement. She instead faced punishment for trying to contact the men’s stated that she liked her cell because “there was a ward. n window there.” Ismayilova also stated that having

8