(NEW YORK)— PEN America released the following statement today In response to the assault and detention of author, poet and President of PEN Palestine, Dr. Hanan Awwad, at the hands of Israeli soldiers in East Jerusalem:
“We condemn and are deeply distressed by the assault and detention of Hanan Awwad by Israeli soldiers. The assault is not just an attack on an individual, but on free expression at a moment when it is most needed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Writers and artists must be able to express their thoughts, share their stories, and speak truth to power without fear of violence or repression. We call for an urgent investigation into the incident and for the summons against Dr. Awwad to be immediately withdrawn.”
Dr. Awwad, who has been president of PEN Palestine since the early 1990s, told PEN International that she was stopped on her way home, held at gunpoint, physically assaulted, and threatened by Israeli soldiers. She was detained for four hours, subjected to verbal abuse, called a terrorist, and kicked and struck by Israeli soldiers. She was repeatedly interrogated about the content of her writings. The soldiers destroyed a photograph of the Palestinian author and poet Mahmoud Darwish and they seized a keffiyeh from Dr. Awwad, which they threw on the ground and stomped on. Dr Awwad has been given a summons to appear at a police station as charges of incitement against Israel are being investigated.
Dr. Awwad is the author of 13 books and poetry collections, including “Woman – a symbol and a cause: the voice of women in Palestinian resistance literature”.
According to PEN America’s 2023 Freedom to Write Index, Israel ranked as the world’s fifth -largest jailer of writers. 2023 marked Israel’s first appearance in the Index’s top ten jailers. The 14 individuals detained in 2023 are all Palestinians, living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza and all detained after October 2023. This adds to three Palestinians who were already held in detention prior to 2023.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057