PEN America Condemns 14-Year Sentence Handed Down to Freedom to Write Honoree Xu Zhiyong
“This 14-year sentence is a shocking and desperate act from the state to hide Xu Zhiyong from the people of China and the world. But his writing lives on… More
India Rewrites its Past in School Textbooks to Suit Ruling Party’s Worldview
“The Modi government’s educational censorship via the rewriting of school textbooks is alarming,” said Nadine Farid Johnson, Managing Director of PEN America Washington and Free Expression Programs. “Coming on… More
Disruption and Harassment at Riley Gaines Speaking Event Made a “Mockery” of Free Speech
“What happened at SFSU was a disaster,” said Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager in free expression and education. “Physical intimidation or violence is never an acceptable response to speech, no… More
PEN America Condemns Move to Expel Tennessee Lawmakers Who Protested on the Legislature Floor
“The right to protest is paramount. Community members have a right to be heard by the lawmakers who serve them, and legislators have a duty to represent the voices… More
PEN America Calls on Twitter to Remove “State-affiliated Media” Designation from NPR’s Twitter Account
“Twitter defines state-affiliated media as ‘outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.’ That… More
Announcing PEN America’s 18th Annual World Voices Festival, May 10-13 in New York City and Los Angeles
Ta-Nehisi Coates, a MacArthur “genius” grant honoree, will deliver the festival’s keynote, the annual Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, May 11 at the New School on the book… More
Open Letter Calls for Probe of Inhumane Treatment of Imprisoned Chinese Writer
Angeli Datt, PEN America’s China research and advocacy lead, said: “The reports of the treatment of Mr Lü Gengsong in prison are troubling and we call for an immediate… More
PEN America: Suspension of Wayne State University Professor for Social Media Post a “Blatant Overreaction”
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America, released the following statement: “The choice to suspend Shaviro and report his social media post to police is a… More
Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses is Essential to Preserving Academic Freedom, Says PEN America CEO
“Students often lack awareness of the First Amendment or the precepts of academic freedom, sometimes believing that the best answer to noxious ideas is to drown them out, or… More
PEN America/PEN International: Chinese Authorities Should Immediately Release Blogger Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
“The seven-year prison sentence handed down to Ruan Xiaohuan for his politics and technology blog is an outrage. Blogging is not a crime and the heavy prison sentence on… More