Pen International, an organization that advocates and campaigns for writers’ freedom, released a statement expressing their deep concern for the recent arrest of Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour by Israeli forces.
On October 11th, Tatour was reportedly arrested for inciting violence and terrorism through her poems and social media posts. According to Israeli authorities, her actions posed a “danger to the public order” and were in direct contravention of a 2015 law which prohibits incitement to violence, terrorism and racism.
However, repudiating the claims, the statement issued bPen International voiced solidarity with the poet, strongly condemning her arrest. It noted that Tatour could have been peacefully engaged in purposeful political expression that “in no way incites violence or publicly expressed hatred and certainly no ideas that threaten national security.”
The statement further criticized the Israeli judiciary and the use of laws, such as the 2015 anti-incitement laws, that are selectively implemented, often as a means of persecuting Palestinian writers and activists who are critical of the government and the occupation of the West Bank.
Similarly, the statement noted that detention or interrogation of writers on grounds of incitement or terrorism had become a part of an oppressive ‘silencing tactics’ adopted by the Israeli government so as to quash any form of dissent or criticism.
Concluding on a hopeful note, the statement reinforces the belief that “a world in which writers and poets can express their views and beliefs as a basic right without intimidation or fear of prosecution is a better world.”
The arrest of Tatour has sparked wide criticism, with organizations such as Amnesty International and PEN International rallying in solidarity with the beleaguered poet. This goes to show that writers and poets representing diverse opinions will always have support, and that attempts of silencing them will be met with a resounding resistance.