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Freedom of Expression Under Threat in Egypt as Journalists Languish in Prison
PEN calls on Egypt’s interim government to comply with its international obligations to respect freedom of expression, and to release anyone held solely for the peaceful exercise of their… More
“The ongoing crackdown on civil society is truly unprecedented”
Those who dare speak out—be it about their sexual identity or their discontent with governmental policies—are threatened with punishment and blackened in the eyes of society. More
What Would Vladimir Putin Do?
What would Brian Boitano do? He'd parody some lyrics to highlight free expression violations in Russia, of course. More
Three Poems by Simone Kearney
I fill you like feeling, which has a system. / I’m not far or near, the way words / pile up in dictionaries. I touch / your sensible drowning… More
PEN Condemns Execution of Poet in Iran
On Friday, February 7, PEN learned that poet Hashem Sha'bani had been executed in Iran. The following post, which provides background on the poet’s life and case, was adapted… More
The Day We Fight Back Against Mass Surveillance
PEN joins an international day of action to fight mass government surveillance. Find out how you can make a difference. More
Russia in Between Security and Democracy
The book market is not noticeably being censored. What is evident, however, is that innovative and controversial literature is being plucked out of the canon (thereby causing it to… More
Turkish Parliament Must Reject Restrictive Internet Bill
PEN American Center urges the Turkish Parliament to reject a draconian Internet bill that would give the national government sweeping new powers to compel Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to… More
Alexandria Irrealis
The Alexandria that Constantine Cavafy knew no longer exists. Nor does the Alexandria that E. M. Forster got to know during the First World War, nor the Alexandria that… More