Around the world, an estimated one million individuals remain behind bars as political prisoners. That’s why a year ago, the United States launched the #WithoutJustCause campaign in an effort to focus the world’s attention on those unjustly detained, to tell their stories, and to increase pressure to secure their release.
The individuals highlighted in this initiative represent the diversity of prisoners held unfairly for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms; they include faith leaders, civic activists, businesspeople, and former government officials.
One such prisoner is Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has been unjustly incarcerated for more than 500 days and is currently serving a 26-year sentence in isolation. Others include Russian pro-democracy opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza who was sentenced to 25 years for criticizing Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.
Iranian lawyer Narges Mohammadi is serving a sentence of nine years and eight months in Evin prison, along with 154 lashes and additional penalties, on politically motivated “national security” charges. The Iranian regime attempted to retry Mohammadi on additional charges after she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for activism on behalf of human rights and women’s equality.
Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired physician and ethnic Uighur, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Chinese authorities for an unfounded charge despite preexisting medical conditions that require regular care. And Tajik human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, known for representing individuals prosecuted on political grounds, was convicted on an unsubstantiated fraud charge in July that added 10 years to his previous 28-year sentence.
These individuals and so many others like them represent bright lights of hope for their countries that autocratic leaders seek to extinguish. They serve as critical voices in holding their governments accountable and promoting democratic governance.
As the #WithoutJustCause initiative enters its second year, the United States again calls for the release of the brave women and men whose detention has been highlighted, and more broadly for the release of every single individual imprisoned unjustly around the world.
