Letter Signed by 44 Writers Calls On President Biden to Raise Grave Human Rights Concerns on Trip to Saudi Arabia
President Joseph Biden The White House Washington, DC July 5, 2022 Dear President Biden, We the undersigned writers, journalists, creative artists, and supporters of PEN America, are writing to urge you to raise your… More
Proceeding with Trial of Xu Zhiyong is a “Grave and Shameful” Mistake by China
Xu faces a potential punishment of life in prison if convicted. His lawyer will reportedly plead his innocence of the crimes at trial. Trials involving government critics in China—including… More
Human Rights Organizations Demand Immediate Freedom for Cuban Artists Facing Persecution Due to Pro-Democracy Activities
The human rights organizations strongly condemned the charges of alleged contempt, defamation, and public disorder brought against the artists, for which the Cuban Prosecutor's Office intends to sentence Otero… More
PEN America and the Venezuelan American Caucus Present an Online Workshop to Help Stop the Spread of Digital Disinformation Ahead of the Midterm Elections
Participants will learn strategies for uplifting credible, culturally attuned, in-language news and information. The goal is to empower participants with communication strategies for expressing the value of media literacy… More
Fears for Safety of Exiled Iranian Singer and Poet as She Travels to Genoa for Poetry Festival
“At only 26 years old, Sahar is an incredibly talented and courageous artist and activist who has dared to use her voice to call for peace and advocate for… More
Vow to Execute Cultural Figures and Activists Shows Myanmar Junta’s Disdain for Human Rights and Rule of Law
“These excessive sentences and rapid execution schedule, following a farcical closed-door trial by a military tribunal, fly in the face of international legal norms and should be reversed immediately,”… More
As Threats Escalate Against Narges Mohammadi, PEN America Calls For Her Immediate Release from Iranian Prison
“Mohammadi’s life was already at serious risk in Qarchak prison, due to the prison authorities’ dismissive, even malicious treatment of her fragile health,” said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, director of… More
Fireproof Edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale Sells for $130,000 at Auction, with Proceeds to Benefit PEN America
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: “We are thrilled and grateful to Margaret for her wondrous idea to support our fight against this unprecedented and spreading censorship. This imaginative… More
Joint Statement from PEN America, AAC&U: Legislative Restrictions on Teaching and Learning Violate Academic Freedom and Threaten Higher Ed’s Autonomy
“Legislators who attack the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of students and faculty are waging war against open inquiry itself,” said Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America. More
UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Urged to Raise Imprisonment of Writers Arash Ganji and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Being Held in Teheran on Wrongful Convictions
“Arash Ganji and Reza Khandan Mahabadi are in prison for their unequivocal commitment to writing and expression in Iran,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write… More