Ethiopia: Overturn blogger’s prison sentence
PEN has learned that blogger Zelalem Workagegnehu’s appeal against his sentence of five years and two months in prison on terrorism charges will be heard on July 6, 2016. More
United States: Journalist’s Murder Requires Prompt Investigation
The horrifying murder of Texas journalist Jacinto Hernández Torres requires a prompt police investigation, including into allegations that he was killed due to his journalistic activities, said PEN America… More
Turkey: Özgür Gündem ‘Editors-in-Chief on Watch’ must be released
The arrest of two journalists in Turkey who had been participating in a solidarity action with the daily newspaper Özgür Gündem is yet another illustration of the alacrity with… More
Bangladesh: Publisher’s Ongoing Detention Illustrates Need for Legal Reform
The continued detention of Bangladeshi publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik is an undue restriction on freedom of expression in a current environment of extreme risk for those who express dissenting views,… More
China: Two Independent Chinese PEN Center Members Given Harsh Sentences
The sentencing of two Independent Chinese PEN Center members to lengthy prison terms for the publication of pro-democracy essays is yet another blow in the government’s crackdown on free… More
Call to Action: June 17 Day of action for Saudi Arabia
June 17, 2016 marks a confluence of significant anniversaries for several of PEN's main cases currently imprisoned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More
Detention of Poet Dareen Tatour Signals Worrying Escalation in Israeli Repression
Israel’s detention and prosecution of Arab-Israeli poet Dareen Tatour is further evidence of the increasingly aggressive measures undertaken by the government to restrict speech critical of the state, PEN… More
Hong Kong: Bookseller’s Harrowing Account Requires Immediate Attention
Detained Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee’s account of his months-long ordeal in mainland police custody, where he was interrogated without a lawyer and forced to confess to “illegal trading,”… More
PEN Afrikaans: Rethinking a Language and its Legacy
In the seventh installment of the PEN World Series, we speak to PEN Afrikaans about the free expression challenges facing speakers of Afrikaans in South Africa. More
Open letter: Writers and free expression groups call for urgent support for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
PEN and the undersigned writers and international members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) are dismayed by the serious financial crisis facing the Inter-American Commission on Human… More