Narges Mohammadi, The Iranian Writer Speaking Out From Behind Bars
Mohammadi has been a target of Iranian authorities for more than 30 years—since she was a student at Imam Khomeini International University writing about women’s rights for her student… More
Iran Steps Up Repression of Rights, with Harsh Prison Sentences for Writers and Artists and Reported Torture and Abuse in Custody
“The Iranian government is putting writers’ lives at severe risk through its brazen violation of basic human rights that include systematic abuse and torture in custody, coupled with fast-tracked… More
PEN America Calls for Release of Imprisoned Iranian Writers and Artists as Anti-Government Protests Land Dissident Voices in Jail
“This case, emblematic of a broader crackdown on the IWA–which has consistently championed the essential right to free expression for all Iranians–is among the most egregious of the Islamic… More
PEN America Condemns Arrests of Iranian Filmmakers as a “Brazen Violation” of Human Rights
“The Iranian government’s decision to detain Mohammad Rasoulof, Mostafa Aleahmad, and Jafar Panahi marks a brazen violation of their human right to free expression and speech,” said Julie Trébault,… More
Communication to the UN Commission on the Status of Women on the Persecution of Iranian Women’s Rights Defenders
We joined Iranian human rights organizations to alert the UN CSW to the persecution and prosecution of women human rights defenders in Iran. More
Poet’s Arrest Latest in Iran’s Crackdown on Writers
"The Iranian authorities’ detention of Amin Moradi—one of at least five members of the IWA jailed in 2020—demonstrates a pattern of baselessly portraying writers as anti-state actors in order… More
Iranian Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Temporarily Released From Prison; Requires Urgent Care
(New York, NY) — PEN America welcomes the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh—lawyer, women’s rights activist, and PEN America’s 2011 Freedom To Write Award honoree—on a temporary medical furlough on… More
Iran Unjustly Jails Three Writers Amid Pandemic
"Forcing Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan, and Reza Khandan-Mahabadi behind bars while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep through Iran’s prisons is not only a blatant and appalling violation of… More
PEN America Issues Urgent Call to Release Nasrin Sotoudeh Amid Pandemic
"Nasrin's condition is critical and her life hangs in the balance, but her spirit remains unbroken and her calls for justice are reverberating around the world." More
Health of Iranian Activist Hunger Striker Deteriorating
"We are heartbroken to see Nasrin’s health deteriorate day by day while imprisoned on unjust charges in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison." More
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