Amin El-Mahdy
El-Mahdy, a writer and publisher, was arrested on September 9, 2020 because of a Facebook post calling the Egyptian President “a murderer, traitor, coward, and thief.” He was released… More
Mamadali Mahmudov | Status: Deceased | Uzbekistan
Mamadali Mahmudov is a renowned Uzbek writer and opposition activist who was released in 2013 after serving a 14-year sentence on charges related to a series of explosions in… More
Saleh Al-Shehi
In January 2018, Al-Shehi, a noted anti-corruption columnist critical of the government, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for “insulting the royal court.” He was released from prison… More
İbrahim Gökçek Grup Yorum
Gökçek was a member of activist folk band Grup Yorum. From the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the Turkish state, and members have faced severe threats. Released… More
Helin Bölek Grup Yorum
Bölek was a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum. Since the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the Turkish government and members have faced serious threats.… More
Dang Phuc Tue Thich Quang Do
Dang was a patriarch of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam who became the public face of religious dissent in the country. He spent his last 30 years… More
Nguyen Chi Thien
A dissident writer and political activist, Nguyen spent a total of 27 years in prison between 1960 and 1991. While in prison, he composed over 400 poems, which were… More
Tayseer Al-Najjar
On December 13, 2015, Al-Najjar, a Jordanian national, was arrested by authorities for a Facebook post in which he criticized Israel and the UAE. He served nearly four years… More
Mamadali Mahmudov
Mahmudov was released in 2013 after serving 14 years in prison on charges of “threats” to the president and the constitutional order. A supporter of the opposition Erk party,… More
Ayşe Nur Zarakolu
Founder of the Freedom to Publish Commission, Zarakolu was a pioneering female figure in Turkey's literary world. A political essayist herself, she was arrested over 30 times for her… More
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PEN America On 
#BannedBooksWeek is just one week away. PEN America will host a series of free in-person and virtual events that unpack current assaults on the freedom to express, the freedom to read, and the freedom to learn. Learn more: https://bit.ly/BannedBooksWk21
Join us as we present Maggie Nelson in conversation with @cathyparkhong to discuss Nelson’s new book ON FREEDOM for the @BKBF on 9/29! https://bit.ly/3l5PYNy
Join @WorkerWriters for a free Coronavirus Haiku reading and conversation on Thursday 9/30 to hear from writers and their life as “frontline workers” during the Covid 19 crisis and their engagement with the Worker Writers School. Register here: https://bit.ly/3Cy3gZY.
