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
Ahnaf Jazeem
Jazeem was arrested on May 16, 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in relation to his book of poetry Navarasam, in which authorities claimed without basis that he… More
Ramzy Razeek
Blogger Razeek was arrested in April 2020 after posting on Facebook regarding need for an “ideological Jihad” to stop organized anti-Muslim propaganda. In response, he and his family faced… More
Thiagarajah Selvanithy Selvi
Selvanithy was the founder of the feminist journal Tholi. Reportedly critical of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's guerilla tactics, she was abducted by the LTTE in 1991 and… More
Malaka Dewapriya
Playwright and filmmaker Dewapriya was reportedly interrogated by police for four hours in October 2019 after a Buddhist monk accused him of distorting Buddhist terminology in his radio series… More
Shakthika Sathkumara
Sathkumara was detained for four months in 2019 for his short story “Ardha," under claims that it promoted religious hatred and insult for its indirect references to homosexuality within… More
J.S. Tissainayagam
In August 2009, writer and journalist Tissainayagam was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labor under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for “causing communal disharmony” with reporting on… More
Sri Lanka: Drop investigation into award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara
PEN is deeply concerned by the ongoing legal proceedings against award-winning writer, Shakthika Sathkumara, accused of inciting religious hatred and violating international human rights Law under Section 3(1) of… More
Sri Lanka: Release award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara
Award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara, arrested and in ongoing detention, is charged with inciting religious hatred and violating international human rights law by Sri Lanka. More
Thiagarajah Selvanithy (“Selvi”) | Status: Murdered | Sri Lanka
Founder of the feminist journal Tholi and a gifted young poet, Thiagarajah Selvanithy was arrested by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers) on August 30,… More
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