Azerbaijan: Serious Concern for Health of Journalist Elchin Mammad
PEN is deeply concerned for the health of reporter, lawyer, and human rights defender Elchin Mammad, who is serving a four-year prison sentence on trumped-up charges of theft and… More
Azerbaijan: Free prisoners before Baku Grand Prix race
The Formula One Group leadership should urge the Azerbaijani government to release unjustly imprisoned activists and journalists ahead of the European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, said the Sport for… More
PEN America Joins Call for Intervention in Case of Khadija Ismayilova
PEN America joined the call for an intervention, submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), in the case of Azerbaijani journalist, Khadija Ismayilova. More
Azerbaijan: Authorities Detain Writer at Airport in Attack on Free Expression
NEW YORK—Azerbaijani authorities’ detention of writer Akram Aylisli at Baku airport last week showcases the government’s continuing quashing of the right to free expression in the central Asian nation,… More
Letter from Khadija: Don’t let Azerbaijan use political prisoners as props
This is a letter written by Khadija Ismayilova from jail. It originally appeared in The Washington Post. Khadija Ismayilova is an investigative journalist and contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s… More
Joint Statement on the Release of 15 Azeri Political Prisoners & those that Remain in Jail
Sport for Rights coalition's joint statement on the release of 15 Azerbaijani political prisoners and those, like 2015 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write winner Khadija Ismayilova, that remain in… More
Bill Introduced in U.S. Would Hold Azerbaijan Accountable for Free Expression Crackdown
The introduction of a bill in the U.S. Congress that would impose visa sanctions on Azerbaijan’s senior leadership is an important move to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its escalating… More
One Year On: Khadija Ismayilova’s Unjust Arrest and Sham Trial
December 5 marks one year since Azeri investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova's arrest. The unjust sentence of 7.5 years in prison handed down to her was confirmed and upheld at… More
Khadija Ismayilova Conviction Upheld in Sham Proceedings in Azerbaijan
A court ruling upholding the conviction of acclaimed investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova in Azerbaijan this week marks another grim chapter in an orchestrated government quest to silence her, PEN… More