Turkish Writer Faces Renewed Charges After Acquittal in February
(New York, NY) — Turkish prosecutors this week have reopened a spurious case against writer Asli Erdoğan. She now faces renewed charges of sedition, membership of a terrorist organization,… More
Former Journalists Arrest in Russia May Be Attempt to Silence Dissent
"The Russian government’s actions against journalists and others speaking truth to power are reaching deplorable levels." More
Detention of Chinese Scholar Is Attempt to Silence Dissent
"With these preposterous accusations, President Xi and the Chinese authorities have once again made clear that the freedom to write hinges on blind devotion to Xi’s mandate and policies." More
CNN Arrests Took Place “For No Fathomable Reason”
"These arrests took place for no fathomable reason; the video makes plain that the crew was making every effort to accommodate any request by the officers." More
China Moves to Charge Imprisoned Australian Novelist With Espionage
PEN America speaks out against the ongoing confinement, abuse, and now pending indictment against Australian writer Yang Hengjun. More
Egyptian Writer Detained for Protesting Prison Conditions That Could Worsen COVID-19 Spread
The arrest of Ahdaf Soueif and her family is an egregious attack on free expression. More egregiously, it shows the Egyptian government’s reflexive response to the coronavirus pandemic is… More
Dissident Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Freed After 13 Days in Jail
“We are overjoyed to learn that Luis Manuel has been freed from jail and will be able to reunite with his friends and family and return to his work." More
PEN America Condemns Detention of Cuban Artist, Demands Charges Be Dropped
The arrest of Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara on fabricated charges is an indefensible violation of freedom of expression and basic human dignity. More
Fine Against Belarusian Writer “Violates Fundamental Right to Speak Freely”
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this statement indicated that Arlou was arrested. He was summoned to court, fined, and charged, but not formally placed under arrest.*** (New York, NY) –… More
PEN America Condemns Renewed Saudi Crackdown Against Journalists, Activists
“The current wave of arrests reminds us that far from ceasing their brutal crackdown on free expression, the Saudi government is feeling emboldened to harass and detain even more… More
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Good news about the fate of arrested Chinese dissidents is rare. His own smile in this picture well reflects how we feel about word that Professor Xu Zhangrun, jailed for an essay critical of Xi Jinping, has been released from detention. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/12/world/asia/xu-zhangrun-china-xi.html?referringSource=articleShare
Find inspiration with PEN/Faulkner award winner @JamesHannaham's installment of the PEN to Paper video series as he stirs the imagination to craft detailed, authentic characters! https://bit.ly/2Zh5ElS
Tune into Bela Shayevich's Just Press Play playlist from @penworldvoices - a curated collection of Soviet darkwave music, the "sounds of perestroika." Listen here: https://bit.ly/3f6cgui. #penworldvoices