The PEN Center in Germany announced a new series of discussions called “Writers in Prison”, which will address the issue of persecuted and threatened writers. One of the program’s first guests will be Chechen journalist, Mainat Kurbanova.

According to the information, on November 11 at 11.00am, PEN Center Germany’s “Writers in Prison” project will begin with four participants. The guests are Chechen journalist Mainat Kurbanova, South African writer Bloke Modisane, Iranian journalist Faraj Sarkohi, and Algerian journalist Hamid Skif. The program will be held in the city of Dortmund (Dortmunder U/großes Cafe View).

Mainat Kurbanova was born in 1974 in Grozny, Chechnya. She graduated from the journalism program at Grozny State University. She worked as a correspondent for Novaya Gazeta and Radio “Svoboda” in Grozny from the start of the second Russian-Chechen war until 2004. In her reports, which were also published in European newspapers, she spoke of life, sorrow and the daily reality of those who continued to live in the capital of Chechnya during the bombings. She was nominated for the Andrei Sakharov Prize. However, after death threats were made to her and her daughter, she was forced into exile. She has been living and working in Germany since 2004.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco