Izatullah Zawab
Zawab is a poet and editor of Meena literary magazine who has written poetry critical of the Taliban and their treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan. He was… More
Zakaria Osuli
Writer, professor, and outspoken activist for the women's rights movement, Osuli was released by the Taliban after two months of detention in April 2023. Prior to his detention, Osuli… More
Rasul Abdi Parsi
Parsi is an Islamic law scholar and former professor at Herat University who was arrested by the Taliban in March 2023 for comments he posted on Facebook. In October… More
Mortaza Behboudi
Behboudi is a Franco-Afghan journalist and documentary filmmaker who co-founded and contributed to the independent news site Guiti News. He was detained by the Taliban on January 7, two… More
Haseeb Ahrari
A poet who writes on themes of freedom and patriotism, Ahrari was arrested in his home in Kabul by the Taliban upon his return from a trip to Iran… More
Khalid Qadiry
An activist, journalist, and poet from Herat, Qadiry was arrested by the Taliban on March 17, 2022. He was sentenced a couple months later to 1 year in prison.… More
NEW PEN America Report: Digital Censorship and Threats to Creative Expression Rise Against Artists in Asia
“In the last two years, we have witnessed a steady rise in threats and persecution of artists across Asia, a trend where governments are deliberately targeting and silencing cultural… More
Dawa Khan Menapal
A former journalist and presidential spokesperson, Menapal worked as the head of the Afghan government’s Media and Information Center and sought to form ties with the journalist community. Menapal… More
Abdullah Atefi
Abdullah Atefi, a historian, writer, and poet, was a public figure whose extensive body of work focused on Pashtun culture and literature. Atefi was taken from his home in… More
Exhibition by Afghan Artists Creating Through Perilous Times
PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and Art at a Time Like This announce the launch of Before Silence: Afghan Artists in Exile, an online exhibition presenting the… More
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