PEN’s Letter to President Obama on His Second Term
On January 28, 2013, Peter Godwin, K. Anthony Appiah, Francine Prose, Ron Chernow, and Salman Rushdie sent a letter to President Barack Obama, calling on him to abide by… More
Venezuelan PEN Challenges Country’s Human Rights Record at UN
Last Friday in Geneva, it was Venezuela’s turn to be examined by the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations. Venezuelan PEN worked closely with International PEN to submit… More
An Era of Censorship Comes to a Close in Myanmar
In a sign that real change is finally coming to Myanmar, the censorship office is closing, and writers are free to write. More
Hailemariam Desalegn: Free Ethiopia’s Besieged Press
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose assault on press freedom led to the jailing of a number of journalists—and the exodus of many more—died last week in Brussels. Now… More
Mexico Signs New Laws Protecting Journalists
It is encouraging to see that Mexican President Felipe Calderón has signed a new law to protect journalists. It’s the second major step the Mexican government has taken in… More
PEN to Russia: Human Rights Orgs are not “Foreign Agents”
PEN International and 21 other international human rights and free expression organizations have issued an open letter to the Russian Duma protesting a draft law that would label non-governmental… More
Postcard from Turkey: Criminal Trials of Major Publishers
Sara Whyatt, Deputy Director of PEN International, writes from Turkey:Yesterday at the Çağlayan Courts of Justice, Europe’s largest courthouse, situated in İstanbul, I sat and watched as a judge set… More
Reckoning with Torture: Readings by Kelly Clark and Eve Ensler
In honor of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, watch two videos from the Reckoning with Torture project. More
PEN International’s Cathal Sheerin on the G20 Summit
Mexico: Leading the G20 in Killing Journalists and WritersThe first six months of 2012 saw 8 journalists and writers murdered in Mexico; that shameful statistic puts this summer’s G20… More
South Africa: Nobel Laureates and PEN Battle for Free Expression
We’re excited that the UK-based Guardian has reported on the important free expression battles unfolding in South Africa, summarizing international condemnation of the country’s so-called Secrecy Bill at the United Nations.… More
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