THAILAND: Writer received Royal pardon

24 February 2009

RAN 46/08 - Update #3

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN has learned that the Australian writer Harry Nicolaides was granted a Royal pardon on 19 February 2009, and is now back in Australia.

Harry Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in prison on 19 January 2008 by a court in Bangkok after pleading guilty to ‘lèse-majesté' (insulting the monarchy) in his 2005 novel Verisimilitude.

For further information on Harry Nicolaides's case, see: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.cfm?objectid=F4FC595B-3048-676E-2602C389CB43060E

Thank you to all who sent appeals on his behalf, particularly to Sydney PEN and Melbourne PEN Centres for their work on this case.

For further information please contact Cathy McCann at International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V 6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email: cathy.mccann@internationalpen.org.uk