Pavlo Yurov and Denis Hryshchuk, two Ukrainian theatre artists, are being detained by separatists in Sloviansk, Ukraine since April 25. There is apperantly no contact to both of them since that day. The East European Performing Arts Platform has published an appeal for immediate release of Pavlo and Denis. The appeal can be supported by eMail.

After stunning efforts by the German embassy and an online petition which gathered more than 6.000 signatures within 24 hours the German playwright and author Jörg Albrecht has been granted passage home on Tuesday afternoon. Arabic Literature has an English summary.

Albrecht was arrested on the street near his hotel minutes after unintentionally  photographing  embassy  buildings  from  the outside. He was  imprisoned  by  the   Abu  Dhabi  secret  police  for  three  days. After realease without explanation he has not been  informed,  however,  whether he will have to return to prison or whether and when he will be allowed to leave Abu Dhabi. An open letter (english version) by artists and friends has been send to the Culture Minister of Abu Dhabi and a petition is online since Monday.

Mala Scena theatre in Zagreb, Croatia is under the threat of shutdown, after 25 years of existence. The children and youth theatre is the only independent and privately owned theatre in Croatia and the only Croatian theatre that has toured all continents. The theatre has been founded by Ivica Šimić, artistic director and Secretary General of ASSITEJ, and PhD. Vitomira Lončar, theatre manager, actress and producer. Read their letter and send your support!

A young critical cameroonian filmmaker, Richard FOUOFIE DJIMELI, has been kidnapped in the night from the 23 to 24 march 2013 in his house in Yaounde/Cameroon. The act seems to be related with several anonymous messages he got the days before. He was threatened with death concerning a critical film «139…Les derniers prédateurs». Does anyone know more about this case? See also this cameroon-info.net article in French
 

The Guardian: British theatre producer David Cecil, arrested in Uganda in 2012 for staging a play with a homosexual protagonist, has been deported back to the UK, leaving behind his partner and two children.

The local government of the Saratov region (Russia) removed the general manager of one of the most prominent Russian theatres without explanation. The dismission happened last October after a fire accident in the theatre. Valeriy Nickolayevich Raykov was leading the Saratov Youth Theatre named after Kisselev since 30 years to high national and international reputation. The theatre staff and many theatre artists in Russia and abroad are expressing their protest.

Zakaria Zubeidi, co-founder of The Freedom Theatre was released on bail pending a court hearing on October 7th. Zubeidi was released after having spent almost five months in Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho. He has carried out two hunger strikes during his imprisonment, protesting against inhumane treatment and violation of rule of law. More than 3,000 people around the world have signed petitions calling for his release.

The Freedom Theatre's press release 2012-10-02

Already on July 29 Nabil Al-Raee, The Freedom Theatre's Artistic Director, pleaded guilty to amended charges of assisting Zakaria Zubeidi in 2010 with food, cigarettes and car drives, and once answering Zakaria's question about presence of the Israeli army in the camp. Since Zakaria was not wanted by the Israeli army at the time, Nabil pleaded guilty to assisting a previously wanted person. The sentence was the time that Nabil served in detention plus a 3,000 shekel fine, suspended imprisonment of four months for one year.

The Freedom Theatre's press release 2012-07-29

Cultura Latina announced a concert for Rodolfo Cázares on 2 October in Vienna and offers a huge collection of links to other sources.

"Help Rodolfo Cázares" on facebook.

Human rights lawyers are now fighting to overturn the ban of “No Voice No Choice” by the Board of Censors of Zimbabwe who last week “prohibited and banned” the play, alleging that its contents were “inciteful and against the spirit of national healing and reconciliation”.

The conductor Rodolfo Cazares who works with the city theatre orchestra of Bremerhaven (Germany)has been seized by Mexican Bandits one year ago. His family have paid four separate ransoms. They have been given no proof that he is alive.

English press report, German press report

Zakaria Zubeidi, co-founder of The Freedom Theatre who has been incarcerated in Jericho prison by the Palestinian Authority since the 13th of May, has initiated a hunger strike as he is continuing to be denied of his rights as stated in Palestinian law. On July 2nd Zakaria made a statement that was passed on by a recently released prisoner saying that if necessary he will continue the hunger strike until death. Nabil Al-Raee's detention in Israeli prison has once again been extended. While the judge at the latest military court hearing on July 1st very clearly pointed out that Nabil was not suspected of any crime, his detention was still extended for 48 hours and now recently for another 4 days.

See The Freedom Theatre's press relaease

The rumours have been proofed now. According to Kazakh newspaper “Respublika” from June 28, and Goethe Institute Almaty (July 4) Bolat Atabayev has been freed. The journalist and youth organization leader Zhanbolat Mamay who was arrested with him is still in prison.

Atabayev on a press conference after his relaease (language: Russian).

On Friday, 15.06.2012, the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan arrested the well-known director and co-founder of Almaty’s German Theatre Bolat Atabaev together with the leader of the youth organization "Rukh pen til”, Zhanbolat Mamay.

Nabil Al-Raee, Artistic Director of The Freedom Theatre, was abducted in the early hours of June 6th by the Israeli army and is presently being held in the Jalameh detention centre north of Jenin, inside Israel. The interrogations at Jalameh and other military detention centres commonly involve inhuman treatment; sleep deprivation, psychological pressure and binding in painful positions.

Zakaria Zubeidi, co-founder and avid supporter of The Freedom Theatre, was arrested by Palestinian security forces on the 13th of May and taken to Jericho prison. Since then Zakaria has not been allowed to meet his lawyer Farid Hawash or have any contact with his family.

After spending twelve days in confinement, Zubeidi could return to his family on the 10th of February. He was informed that his amnesty had been reinstated, however it is an amnesty with restrictions...

The Freedom Theatre is a cultural venue in Jenin  Refugee Camp, which uses the arts as a form of resistance against  oppression. In the last weeks Jenin refugee camp has suffered a higher number of arrests than usual. Over thirty arrests have been made in the past month. Among the people arrested were three members of The  Freedom Theatre, a cultural centre for children and youth.

Actors Equity reports on 28 October Marzieh Vafamehr had her sentence reduced to three months and will not receive any form of corporal punishment. As Ms Vafamehr has already served four months in jail she has now been released. More than 9000 people signed Actors Equity’s petition calling for the immediate release of Ms Vafamehr. Read the whole article at The Equity Foundation's website.

You might already have heard about the Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who is sentences to jail and 90 lashes for starring in the film My Tehran for Sale.
Here below is a letter from the British Equity and a petition to sign.
I know there more countries have joined this campaign. Please help to protest and spread it around.