News & Analysis
The latest news and analysis from PEN America’s research and advocacy.
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Press Releases • Commentary
Poet and PEN Belarus Member Imprisoned for Demonstrating
“Strotsev now joins a long list of Belarusian cultural figures who have been unjustly detained and faced brutal treatment for expressing dissent through their art." More
PEN America Demands End to Violence Against Protesters in Nigeria
“The use of indiscriminate and senseless violence to suppress peaceful protests against police violence in Nigeria is as heartbreaking as it is horrific." More
PEN America Appeals to UN on Behalf of Detained Chinese Writer
"We will continue to advocate for Xu until he is released, and we continue to call upon the Chinese government to drop these abusive and politically-motivated charges against him.” More
Pompeo Weighs Tarring Human Rights Groups As ‘Anti-Semitic’
"It is frankly abhorrent—and an affront to the First Amendment—to see the U.S. government pull directly from the playbook of dictators the world over by attempting to smear and… More
As Saudia Arabia Hosts W20 Summit, Women’s Rights Activists Remain Imprisoned
"The cruel and unjust incarceration that women such as Loujain Al-Hathloul and Nasrin Sotoudeh face represent the harrowing experiences of many others detained in the prisons of Saudi Arabia… More
PEN America Welcomes Rep. Schiff’s Bill Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Violations Against Journalists
“Rep. Schiff’s bill is an important step toward expanding protections for journalists who face risks of imprisonment, torture, and even death for the work they do every day discerning… More
PEN America: Facebook, Twitter Must Move Fast to Clarify Policies on Disinformation After New York Post Controversy
(New York, NY) — Earlier this week, Twitter and Facebook took steps to limit posting and amplification in relation to a New York Post article on emails purportedly belonging… More
PEN America Demands Belarus Drop Charges Against Olga Shparaga
"We demand Shparaga’s immediate release. Efforts to silence political opponents through arrests, kidnappings and harassment are a violation of people’s most basic human rights, and are doomed to fail.” More
China Formally Charges Chinese-Australian Novelist
“From the very beginning, at every turn, the Chinese government’s treatment of Yang Hengjun has been marked by an almost-complete disregard for international law and for the rule of… More
Accusation That ‘Cuties’ Crosses Legal Lines ‘Patently False’
"While people are free to criticize the film's depiction of children in provocative clothing and dance performances, the claim that this fictional film transgresses legal lines is patently false." More