PEN America: Release of Blogger in Mauritania 'Long-Overdue Victory'
August 02, 2019
August 02, 2019
NEW YORK, Aug. 2 -- PEN America issued the following news release:
The release of Mauritanian Facebook blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, after having been jailed more than five years for "blasphemy," is a long overdue victory for free expression, PEN America said today.
In January 2014, Mkhaitir wrote a post criticizing the misuse of Islam to justify slavery and discrimination in Mauritania, which led to public protests calling for his execution. After ne . . .
The release of Mauritanian Facebook blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, after having been jailed more than five years for "blasphemy," is a long overdue victory for free expression, PEN America said today.
In January 2014, Mkhaitir wrote a post criticizing the misuse of Islam to justify slavery and discrimination in Mauritania, which led to public protests calling for his execution. After ne . . .