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On Anniversary of Mahsa Amini Protests, U.S. Congress Affirms Support for Women’s Rights in Iran
“In the year since Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s death, Iranian women in particular have continued to bravely use their voices to speak out against the abuses of the Iranian government.… More
Call for Egyptian Government to Immediately Release Poet Galal El-Behairy, Following Reported Suicide Attempt
Justin Shilad, PEN America’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy lead, said: “The Egyptian government is responsible for Galal El-Behairy’s health and safety behind bars, just as… More
Israeli authorities target Palestinian students’ freedom to learn
The Israeli government should immediately stop this cruel and malicious practice of book banning at gunpoint. More
Lisa Wartenberg | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I was interested in the stories young girls are told, and how wildly violent these can be –– reflecting, of course, the atrocities of the larger landscape. More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of September 11
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
Elon Musk’s X must ensure safety of users, as Saudi authorities issue first death sentence solely for social media activity
We call on X to uphold its human rights responsibilities and ensure the safety of its users against state monitoring and surveillance. More
PEN America Comments on Federal Government Appointment in Response to School Book Bans
PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans nationwide. Texas, Florida and Missouri lead with the most books banned currently.… More
PEN America is Among Partners of New “Alt New College” in Response to Hostile Takeover of Fl College
Jeremy Young, Freedom to Learn program director at PEN America, said: "The soul of New College is its creativity and openness to free thought and ideas. Alt New College… More
Verity McKay | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
A woman pushed to the brink by the pressures of every day life in the wake of carrying around an awful secret for far too long. The awful secret… More
On anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, PEN America calls for an end to the suppression of free thought and expression in Iran
PEN America calls upon the Iranian government to cease its continued persecution of dissident voices and to release artists, writers, and creatives sentenced to prison. More
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