The international Publishers Association has contributed 1,000CHF to kickstart an international appeal for support as the lockdown in Bangladesh puts the legacy Faisal Arefin Dipan at risk. His widow, Razia Rahman Joly, carried on his publishing house and opened a bookshop, Dipanpur, in his memory. 3 months of lockdown and no income mean eviction and closure are now looming.
Following the widely reported attempts by President Trump to prevent the release of Ambassador John Bolton’s book, The Room Where It Happened, the IPA has declared its full backing for the American publisher of the book, Simon & Schuster.
On the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day on April 25, with Ramadan, the month of forgiveness, approaching, and as Khaled Lotfy has already served more than one-third of his liberty-depriving sentence in prison, IPA reiterates its appeal to Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to release Egyptian publisher Khaled Lotfy.
The International Publishers Association congratulates publishers around the world who have been quick and innovative in their reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. IPA also praises government actions to control the spread of the virus and support cultural industries. IPA calls for industry solidarity to overcome the economic impact the disruption will bring and appeals to national and regional governments to ensure all those in the publishing value chain are supported.
The International Publishers Association (IPA) today announces the shortlist for the 2020 IPA Prix Voltaire, an award recognizing exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish and in enabling others to exercise their right to freedom of expression.
IPA expresses its steadfast support for Gui Minhai and his family, and calls on Sweden, the EU and the international community to renew their efforts to secure Gui Minhai’s release. Gui Minhai has paid a high price for publishing books and his treatment is meant to scare others into silence. We salute all those brave publishers globally who refuse to be intimidated and continue to exercise their freedom to publish.
As the Hay Festival Abu Dhabi opens on 25-28 February 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we the undersigned call on the Emirati authorities to demonstrate their respect for the right to freedom of expression by freeing all human rights defenders imprisoned for expressing themselves peacefully online, including academics, writers, a poet and lawyers.
