On 15 February 2016 a group of academics, authors and translators published an open letter to urge translators to not support the Qatari regime and to withdraw from the Seventh International Translation Conference (http://tii NULL.qa/conference-registration), which will be held on 28-29 March 2016.
The letter argues that while trying to create an image of being an oasis of creativity and freedom – using awards and translations of Arabic literature as instruments to strengthen this image – Qatar has kept the poet Muhammad Al-Ajami (widely known as Ibn al-Dheeb) imprisoned. →