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
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Status
Continued HarassmentJoão Paulo Cuenca
Creative artist, Dramatist, Journalist, Literary writer, Online CommentatorBrazilAmericasIn response to a satirical tweet involving then-president Jair Bolsonaro, writer and filmmaker Cuenca has been subjected to over 140 targeted lawsuits from state officials and religious leaders since 2020, primarily from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. These lawsuits demand damages totaling more than one million Brazilian…
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MurderedKamol Duangphasuk
PoetThailandAsia-PacificIn April 2014, the poet “Kunthee” was shot by assailants who approached his car in Northern Bangkok, then escaped by motorcycle. He died in the hospital as a result of his injuries. The motive for his murder is unknown, but may be linked to his activism about increased violence in…
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Conditional ReleaseKunchok Tsephel Gopey Tsang
Editor, Literary writer, Poet, ScholarChina/Tibet Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificKunchok Tsephel, founder of the Tibetan literary website Chomei, was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of disclosing state secrets, though the specific reasons for the charge remain unclear. He was released in March 2022 under restrictive conditions that limit his movement and activities.…
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ReleasedMaina wa Kinyatti
Literary writer, ScholarKenyaSub-Saharan AfricaA Marxist historian, Kinyatti served six years in prison from 1982-1988 for his criticism of authoritarian president Daniel arap Moi. During his time in prison, he was severely mistreated and spent most time in solitary confinement. He is now in political asylum in the US.
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ReleasedMarwan Almuraisy
Journalist, Online CommentatorSaudi ArabiaMiddle East and North AfricaYemeni writer living in Saudi Arabia Marwan Almuraisy was arrested and forcibly disappeared on June 1, 2018 following a raid on his home. A year later, in May 2019, his wife posted on Twitter that she had received the first ever phone call from him since his disappearance. He has…
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ReleasedMohamed Mostafa Moussa
JournalistEgyptMiddle East and North AfricaMoussa, a columnist for multiple outlets who has criticized President el-Sisi in his work, was arrested at his home in Alexandria and taken to an undisclosed location on November 7, 2022. He was charged with “publishing false news and statements, misusing social media, and participating in a terrorist group.” He…
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ReleasedMusab Khamees Qafeisha
Journalist, Online CommentatorIsrael/Occupied Palestinian TerritoryMiddle East and North AfricaMusab Khamees Qafeisha, a freelance reporter and avid Facebook and Twitter commentator from the West Bank, has been detained several times in the past decade, spanning as far back as 2012. On October 20, 2023, Israeli soldiers surrounded Qafeisha’s home in Hebron, urging him and his brother to come out.…
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Recorded HarassmentNatalia Mallo
Creative artist, TranslatorBrazilAmericasMallo, the director of the play O Evangelho Segundo Jesus, Rainha do Céu (The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven)—which encountered multiple bans and attempts to supress its message—has faced severe backlash in Brazil. Sje has endured police harassment, death and rape threats, and multiple physical attack attempts due…
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Custodial/Wrongful DeathNizar Al-Banat
Activist, Literary writer, Online CommentatorPalestinian TerritoriesMiddle East and North AfricaAl-Banat was a literary writer and a prominent human rights activist who was critical of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on social media. His home was attacked by PA forces on June 24, 2021 at 3am, when he was beaten and then arrested. His death in custody was announced several hours…
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.