100 Days Since the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi, PEN America Renews the Call for Justice and Global Press Freedom
“The Saudi government’s extermination of Jamal Khashoggi is an outrage to every writer and defender of the written word,” said PEN America President Jennifer Egan. “By honoring and remembering… More
Russia’s New Law on Public Protests Designed to Further Silence Dissent
“As written, it poses a serious threat to freedom of assembly in Russia and serves merely as a pretext to prosecute the organizers and supporters of protest actions.” More
Government’s Request to Pull Funding from Exhibit Featuring Works by Poet Dareen Tatour an Absurd Encroachment on Free Expression in Israel
“Rather than enabling the Israeli public to view a full range of creative artworks, officials have resorted to financial pressure. We call on Israeli authorities to refrain from censoring… More
New Charges Against Azerbaijani Blogger Mehman Huseynov, Now on Hunger Strike, A Cruel Punishment for Investigative Journalism
"The escalation of legal harassment against Mehman Huseynov—over the holiday period, and just months before his release—is an inhumane step that perfectly embodies the calculated crackdown against dissenting voices… More
Blocking Netflix’s “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” Part of Saudi Arabia’s Standard Playbook of Repression
“The use of broadly worded laws to censor virtually any type of criticism is part of Saudi Arabia's standard playbook of repression. While Netflix may see no option but to… More
PEN America Applauds Sentencing Decision in James A. Wolfe Case and Judge’s Defense of Sources
“The District Court was right to reject the prosecution’s request for extra prison time, a sentencing decision that highlights it is not a crime for government officials to maintain relationships with… More
Stifling of Texas Speech Pathologist’s Right to Political Boycott a Clear Violation of the Constitution
“Regardless of the merits of such boycotts, a system that penalizes people for expression of political beliefs is at odds with the protections afforded in the Constitution. The cases… More
PEN America Mourns Meng Lang, “Exquisite Poet, Courageous Activist”
"Meng Lang was an exquisite poet, a publisher and promoter of the work of colleagues, a courageous activist, and a strong believer in freedom and human dignity. If literature and… More
Detention of Writer Ibrahim al-Husseini a Grievous Attack on Free Expression in Egypt
“While attacks on individual free expression in today's Egypt are nothing new, the detention and ill treatment of an elderly writer for his online comments is a disgrace,” said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, Director… More
Disappearance of Photographer Lu Guang a Troubling Attack on Artistic Freedom in China
"Unfortunately, Lu’s case is not unique. The Chinese government has a history of disappearing artists who use their practices as a platform to challenge and critique the regime’s policies.… More