PEN America condemns the sentencing of Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in prison
(NEW YORK, NY) — PEN America strongly condemns the sentencing by a Russian court of Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in prison. A Prague-based book editor and a journalist… More
Russian Court Sentences Evan Gershkovich to 16 Years in Prison
In this sham trial, the Russian court punished Gershkovich for the crime of journalism, sending yet another unmistakable signal that free speech in Russia is in its final moments. More
Masha Gessen Sentenced in Absentia to Eight Years in Russian Prison for Ukraine Comments
"Unfortunately, this conviction comes as little surprise given Gessen’s well-established record of bravely speaking out against the suppression of human rights in Russia." More
Moscow Court Sentences Playwright and Director in Ongoing Crackdown on Free Expression
Labeling these artists as terrorists or extremists is a grave injustice. ARC calls for the immediate release of Berkovich and Petriychuk. More
Record Number of Writers Jailed Worldwide in 2023
There were 339 writers from 33 countries jailed in 2023, an increase of 62 writers compared to 2022 and 101 more than in 2019. More
Kremlin Crackdown on Foreign and Independent Media Intensifies with New Arrests
As Russia closes itself off from the rest of the world, journalists are risking their lives to report independent news to help people understand what is happening in the… More
Viktor Shenderovich
Satirist Shenderovich fled Russia after he was designated as a “foreign agent” in December 2021. He has lived in exile since, but faces continued repression. Reports emerged in 2022… More
Dmitry Bikov
Bikov, the author of over 90 books, survived an assassination attempt in 2019 and left Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. In October 2022, he was fined… More
Vsevolod Korolev
Poet and filmmaker Korolev was a vocal opponent of the war who made films about imprisoned activists. In July 2022, a criminal case was opened against him for online… More
Sergei Gulyaev
Gulyaev, an exiled Russian writer and politician, was censured by prominent public figures in May 2023 for his 2022 book on the war in Ukraine, Sunset in Brown Tones.… More