PEN America to Confer Voice of Influence Award on President Barack Obama
“As an organization of writers, we have always seen President Obama not just as a leader, but as one of us: an author.” More
Vietnam Must Drop Charges Against Poet Tran Duc Thach
“Peaceful criticism is no crime. Quite the opposite—it is the mark of someone who is civically engaged, and who cares about their country.” More
Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Plead Guilty to Charge of ‘Unlawful Assembly’
“It has been obvious since the start that the charges. . . are a politically motivated attempt to silence the speech of some of Hong Kong’s leading pro-democracy activists.” More
Prominent Uyghur Scholar Arrested by Saudi Authorities on China’s Request
“The Chinese government’s targeting of Waili is part and parcel of their effort to erase Uyghur cultural and religious life.” More
PEN America Condemns Crackdown on Polish Protesters
(New York, NY) — The police-led crackdown on reproductive rights demonstrators in Poland is a serious assault on freedom of expression, PEN America said today. PEN America condemns the… More
China Bars Imprisoned Activist’s Access to Lawyers, Hiding Potential Mistreatment
“It is painfully obvious that authorities are repeatedly extending the investigation period into Xu’s case in order to deny him his legal rights under both international and Chinese law,… More
Proposed Expansion of Foreign Agent Laws in Russia Poses Clear Threat to Free Expression
“The proposed laws would infringe on constitutionally guaranteed rights, and yet, they will be almost impossible to challenge." More
PEN America to Host G20 Counter-Summit Highlighting Saudi Human Rights Abuses
“This summit is meant to send a clear message to Saudi Arabia: Attempts to paper over your atrocious record of human rights abuses just won’t cut it." More
Pulitzer Winners, Prominent Writers Call for Release of Chinese Dissident
“Our letter is a clear reminder that writers around the world intend to speak out on behalf of one another." More
SIGN NOW: China Must Release Detained Essayist Xu Zhiyong
As representatives of the global literary community, we write to call for the immediate and unconditional release of essayist and legal scholar Xu Zhiyong. More