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2005 FREEDOM TO WRITE AWARD
October 03, 2004
SEPTEMBER 29, 2005
Each year, PEN USA presents Freedom to Write Awards to men and women who have fought against censorship and defended freedom of expression. In many cases, these individuals have written in the face of extreme adversity and have been threatened, arrested or punished for daring to express their ideas.
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The 2005 award winner is Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, a journalist, columnist, author, political analyst, and editor of Weekly Blitz magazine in Bangladesh. In recent years, Choudhury has attempted to open up the doors of communication between the people of the Moslem world and Israel.
Two years ago, Choudhury was invited by Israeli Professor Ada Aharon to speak at the Writers’ Symposium on “Bridges Through Culture” in Tel Aviv, Israel. His topic was to be the role of the media in establishing peace in the Middle East. However, on November 29, 2003, as Choudhury was about to board his flight for the Symposium, he was arrested and detained for alleged passport violations. He was subsequently charged with “espionage against the country [of Bangladesh] in favor of Israel,” a capital offense. Choudhury was detained for several months in deplorable conditions, but was finally released on bail in April 2005. Since then, he has faced numerous court continuances and delays. He has yet to face trial on these serious charges and has not had access to his personal papers, his computer or his passport since his initial arrest almost two years ago.
This year the PEN USA honors Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury’s for his bravery during imprisonment and his dedication to freedom of expression.