Author Elif Shafak Acquitted in Turkey
Author Elif Shafak was acquitted of charges of “insult” at a hearing held today in the Beyoglu Court of First Instance in Istanbul, bringing to a close one of… More
Acquittal for Turkish novelist
Shafak told Guardian Unlimited that she was "very happy with the outcome", but still concerned about threats to freedom of expression in Turkey. >> Read the story More
Turkey, a Touchy Critic, Plans to Put a Novel on Trial
“If there is a thief in a novel,” said Elif Shafak recently, “it doesn’t make the novelist a thief.” Yet, Ms. Shafak is due in court here on Sept.… More
PEN Welcomes Release of Ramin Jahanbegloo in Iran
PEN American Center welcomed today’s release of Ramin Jahanbegloo, an Iranian writer and intellectual who was arrested at Tehran airport on April 27, 2006, as he was about to… More
‘We Don’t Want War’
Renowned Iranian investigative journalist and dissident Akbar Ganji discusses with Democracy Now! why he recently declined an invitation to the meet with President Bush in the White House. … More
Who’s Afraid of Shirin Ebadi?
Under cover of the international furor over its nuclear activities and its support for Hezbollah, Iran is trying to silence its most prominent human-rights activist, and, by extension, all… More
Akbar Ganji on Writing and Freedom of Expression in Iran
PEN welcomed Akbar Ganji, one of Iran's most prominent champions of human rights and freedom of expression, to New York City today to discuss writing, free expression, and recent… More
Novelist May Be Jailed for a Character’s Remarks
Elif Shafak will appear in the country's seventh high criminal court on charges of violating Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code. >> Read the story More
PEN Welcomes Release of Algerian Newspaper Publisher, Mohammed Benchicou
PEN American Center welcomed today’s release of Mohammed Benchicou, a newspaper publisher whose paper’s independent reporting earned him a two-year prison term in Algeria. Benchicou, who received one of… More
The Land of Turkmenbashi
Of the fifteen states of the former Soviet empire, Turkmenistan, just north of Iran, is the one that has turned out to be a cruel blend of Kim Jong… More
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