POLITICIANS of all parties yesterday backed the campaign to have the International Day of the Imprisoned Writer officially recognised in Scotland.
SNP MSP Ivan McKee led a debate on the subject in the Scottish Parliament yesterday and political rivalries were set aside as MSPs rose to speak about the many writers around the world who have been imprisoned, threatened or attacked for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Watched by members of Amnesty International and Scottish PEN, an association of writers which defends freedom of expression, the debate provoked strong emotions, and the deputy presiding officer Linda Fabiani extended proceedings by half an hour so that MSPs could make more contributions.
McKee’s motion called on the Scottish Parliament to note “the view that governmental, intergovernmental and civil society partners at home and abroad should work together to secure protections for writers and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”
The SNP MSP told the chamber: “Around the world, writers find themselves imprisoned or worse for doing no more than putting pen to paper.
“That so many are persecuted for this simple act in the 21st century is something that should concern us all.”
He said that 74 journalists had been killed and 284 had been imprisoned worldwide last year. He then spoke of Ashraf Fayedh, the Palestinian poet detained by Saudi Arabia, and read from his work.
Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton spoke of the importance of freedom of speech for democracy and said that “at least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey”, adding that the situation there was "precarious to say the least”.
Ruth Maguire, SNP MSP, said: “The Day of the Imprisoned Writer is a time to reflect on those who do not yet have that most basic human right of freedom of expression.”
Labour MSP Daniel Johnson highlighted the case of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Russian court after he was arrested during a protest against Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea.
Green MSP Andy Wightman said: “Words are powerful tools in the hands of anyone which is why oppressive regimes frequently try to silence writers.”
He cited the case of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was murdered in 2006.
Several other examples of individuals persecuted for their writings were mentioned before Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop closed the debate by saying that “imprisoned writers matter to us.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here