'The Prison Papers': Society magazine spotlights journalists jailed globally  

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When helium walked by the subject basal entrance, French writer Arthur Jeanne said helium couldn't support his eyes disconnected the instrumentality guns fixed connected him arsenic helium headed to a high-security prison.

After what Jeanne described arsenic a "frightening" kilometer-long locomotion to the Mariscal Zavala situation successful Guatemala, helium came face-to-face with a antheral helium had lone heard stories about: José Rubén Zamora.

The imprisoned writer appeared to beryllium successful bully spirits.

"From the archetypal 2nd I met him, I noticed helium was a truly charismatic and awesome person," Jeanne told VOA. "He's been successful jailhouse for astir 3 years present but is inactive truly agleam and active."

Zamora, 68, is the laminitis of Guatemalan paper El Periódico. He was convicted of wealth laundering successful a lawsuit that Jeanne says is simply a effect to decades of watchdog reporting against the government.

When Jeanne met Zamora successful May 2024, the brace chatted for 3 hours and started to constitute a communicative astir the past of El Periódico.

The nonfiction is included successful a peculiar variation of Society mag titled "The Prison Papers."

The autarkic French work partnered with watchdog Reporters Without Borders, oregon RSF, for the special, which highlights the cases of 8 jailed journalists.

'Plea for freedom'

Through interviews, essays and investigations, combined with artwork and photographs, RSF says the postulation presents a "powerful plea for freedom."

The thought of "The Prison Papers" began successful Society's newsroom a twelvemonth ago. Thomas Pitrel, 1 of 3 editors-in-chief, told VOA that helium had agelong wanted to screen imprisoned and killed journalists.

"It's important for america to amusement solidarity to our colleagues astir the world," Pitrel told VOA. "We are precise passionate astir our jobs and privation everyone to beryllium capable to bash it successful a harmless way."

Pitrel initially thought creating a mag contented featuring imprisoned journalists would beryllium "impossible." Then helium connected with RSF.

RSF's unit welcomed the task immediately, Director of Campaigns Rebecca Vincent told VOA. The teams from Society and RSF collaborated to make a database of cases that RSF considered "critical."

The highlighted journalists see Zamora, Hong Kong's pro-democracy steadfast Jimmy Lai, and reporters crossed 4 continents who are successful jail.

"We wanted to bash thing meaningful and originative to item cases we see apical priorities astir the world," Vincent told VOA. She hopes the mag inspires readers to mobilize and increases demands for the merchandise of imprisoned journalists globally.

Initially, Vincent had hoped to get bylines from each of the spotlighted reporters. But, due to the fact that of the severity of astir of the cases, the squad had to find originative ways to archer the stories, she said.

Society often had to enactment done a jailed journalist's family, colleagues oregon lawyers. Jeanne was the lone writer to conscionable his taxable successful person, traveling from France to Guatemala to bash so.

José Carlos Zamora, José Rubén's son, connected with Jeanne successful February and helped put the reporter's situation visit.

"I deliberation it was fulfilling and important for my begetter to proceed to bash journalism," Jose Carlos told VOA.

Other writers, incapable to conscionable with their correspondents, recovered originative ways to grant the imprisoned journalists. Pierre-Philippe Berson wrote an effort connected censorship successful Hong Kong done the lens of nutrient and cooking connected behalf of "food-lover" Lai, according to Vincent. On behalf of Eritrean writer Dawit Isaak, Emilien Hofman and Nicolas Taiana conducted an probe with his household into the journalist's indefinite imprisonment successful Eritrea.

The 8 cases featured successful the mag correspond a tiny fraction of the estimated 581 imprisoned journalists astir the world, according to RSF.

"We are committed to doing everything successful our powerfulness to support their stories live and present," Vincent said. "Authorities cannot halt these stories from being told; it is futile to support targeting journalists."