Eritrean journalists in exile have set up PEN Eritrea to campaign for the freedom of Eritrean journalists and writers. As part of that campaign, PEN, working with the artist Gianluca Costantini, produced portraits of fifteen imprisoned journalists. The Southampton Central Library kindly agreed to set up a display of the portraits and 15 Southampton City Councillors came to support our action.

The councillors who took part in this event were Hannah Coombs, Lisa Mitchell, Gordon Cooper, Matthew Renyard, Sarah Taggart, John Savage, Sarah Bogle, Vivienne Windle, Satvir Kaur, Matt Bundas, Barrie Margetts, Warwick Payne, Darren  Paffey, John Noon, and the High Sheriff Sue Bletchford who will become Mayor in May.  The Southampton Amnesty group was represented by Mary Brown (back row, second from right) who coordinated the display and Peter Murray (front row, rightmost).