Writers at Risk Database
PEN America champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. The bedrock work of the global PEN network is advocacy and assistance on behalf of individuals persecuted for their use of the written word or other forms of expression. PEN America’s Writers at Risk Database is a searchable catalog of the writers, journalists, academics, public intellectuals and others under threat around the world. The database includes historical cases PEN America has worked on from 1987 onwards; non-active cases are color-coded black. PEN America is grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for support that enabled the establishment of the Writers at Risk Database and to PEN International for their collaboration in assembling this database.
Filters
-
Status
ReleasedAbdo Fayed
Journalist, Online CommentatorEgyptMiddle East and North AfricaFayed, an Egyptian journalist and online commentator, remains detained without trial since May 2020, charged with disinformation and joining a terrorist group. The detention followed a series of Facebook posts in which he was critical of the government response to COVID-19. On April 24, 2022, after prolonged pre-trial detention, Fayed…
-
Status
ReleasedAbdullah Habib
Creative artist, Literary writerOmanMiddle East and North AfricaIn recent years, writer and filmmaker Abdullah Habib has been subjected to multiple detentions for his criticism of the Omani government and controversial online statements on religion. Most recently, Habib was detained for more than two months during 2018.
-
Status
Conditional ReleaseAkbar Azad
Activist, Journalist, Literary writer, PoetIranMiddle East and North AfricaAkbar Azad is a poet, activist, and journalist continuously targeted by authorities. First arrested after giving a speech for UNESCO in 2014, he has been detained and sentenced several times for promoting the minority Azeri language. He was detained in August 2021 and only conditionally released after posting bail. In…
-
Status
ReleasedAliaksandr Novikau
Literary writer, Online CommentatorBelarusEurope and Central AsiaA historian and blogger, Novikau was arrested on June 27, 2022 for publishing articles on his website that aim at revising history. He was convicted and found guilty of leaking personal data of employees of internal affairs bodies. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment in a closed door court…
-
Status
Recorded ThreatÁngela Hernández Nuñez
Literary writer, PoetDominican RepublicAmericasA prolific poet and novelist, Hernández Nuñez was verbally attacked and threatened by anti-Haitian nationalists she encountered while walking in December 2018. This led to calls for her protection and for anti-hate legislation by global intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky.
-
Status
ReleasedAtena Farghadani
Activist, Creative artistIranMiddle East and North AfricaAtena Farghadani is an artist and activist. In 2014, she was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for a satirical cartoon. She was released in 2016 on appeal. Farghadani was rearrested in June 2023, likely because of her artistic work. She was released but rearrested in April 2024. She…
-
Status
ReleasedBahar Kurt
Creative artist, Singer/SongwriterTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaBahar Kurt is a member of the band Grup Yorum, who are known for their activism and political commentary. Since the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the government and members have faced serious threats. Kurt faced several brief arrests over the years including on August 5, 2020 and…
-
Status
ConvictedCemal Azmi Kalyoncu
Journalist, Literary writer, Online CommentatorTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaKalyoncu was detained in the crackdown following the failed 2016 coup. His writing and tweets were used as evidence of terrorism charges against him, resulting in a six and a half year prison sentence in 2018. In June 2020, a Supreme Court overturned his conviction. He was retried and in…
-
Status
ImprisonedDauletmurat Tadzhimuratov
Journalist, Online CommentatorUzbekistanEurope and Central AsiaDauletmurat Tadzhimuratov is an attorney, activist, and former editor who belongs to the Karakalpak minority group. He was detained after he allegedly organized a rally for Karakalpak autonomy in July 2022. He spent months in detention, where he was tortured and beaten. In January 2023, he was sentenced to 16…
Writers at Risk Database Key:
STATUS box that is red: Active case
STATUS box that is black: Inactive case
Funder
PEN America is deeply grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for its generous support of the Freedom to Write Index and Writers at Risk Database.
Partner
PEN America thanks the PEN International Secretariat and the Writers in Prison Committee for their extensive contributions to and collaboration on compiling the cases included in this database.