Journalist Shoaib Durrazai arrives in Bergen as the city's 8th ICORN resident

In September 2022, Shoaib Durrazai arrived in the southwestern Norwegian City of Bergen as its eighth ICORN resident. Durrazai is a Pakistani journalist and human rights activist from the area of Balochistan where many journalists and human rights activists face persecution, threats, and assassination. Shoaib’s journalistic work has primarily addressed social, political, and human rights issues in his home region and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the Balochistan Point, the Daily Express, and the Daily Tawar, amongst others.

In a statement released following his arrival in Bergen, Durrazai expressed his relief and happiness in being invited to Bergen City of Refuge as an ICORN resident. Although Shoaib is looking forward to continuing his work in safety, he also shared how difficult it was for him and his family to leave Pakistan. You can read Bergen Public Library’s press release here.

Since becoming the ICORN resident in Bergen, Shoaib Durrazai has continued his engagement with issues affecting Balochistan and Pakistan, more widely, particularly through social media channels such as Twitter. You can read Durrazai’s full ICORN resident profile here.

Having been a City of Refuge since 2008, the City of Bergen, together with Bergen Public Library, have already hosted seven other ICORN writers and artists. Some of the Bergen’s previous ICORN residents include Ratan Kumar Samadder, Kareem Amer, and Ayaz Khonsyawashan. To read Bergen’s ICORN City of Refuge profile, click here.