Commemorating the Day of the Imprisoned Writer
Authoritarian governments instinctively fear writers because of their ability to inspire people to interrogate the present and dream of a better future. Instead of valuing the positive role writers… More
In Censoring Poet, Egyptian Government Bending Every Rule to Silence a Song
Galal El-Behairy’s ordeal over the past five years is a testament both to his strength and the Egyptian government’s ultimate weakness. More
Arrest of Another Journalist in Egypt Casts Further Doubt Over Country’s Commitment to Free Expression
"The arrest of Karim Asaad and ongoing detention of Hisham Kassem once again spotlight Egypt’s dire record on freedom of expression and cast serious doubts on the government’s broader… More
Joint Letter – Biden Administration Should Not Provide Military Aid to Egypt in Light of Ongoing Human Rights Violations
Withholding the full amount conditioned on human rights will demonstrate the continued importance that the United States places on the Egyptian government adequately addressing the dire human rights crisis. More
Civil Society Organizations Condemn Sentencing of Egyptian Academic and Researcher Patrick George Zaki
We civil society organizations condemn the three-year prison sentence handed down to human rights researcher and academic Patrick George Zaki. More
PEN America Decries Continued Imprisonment of Poet Galal El-Behairy, Who is Prepared to Escalate his Hunger Strike by Refusing Water
“Five years of arbitrary detention for nothing other than writing poetry and song lyrics has brought Galal El-Behairy to a point where his life is potentially in critical danger,… More
Alaa Abd El Fattah | Status: Imprisoned | Egypt
Alaa Abd El Fattah is an Egyptian activist, software developer, and blogger. After being sentenced to a month of jail in absentia, he received a five years sentence in… More
Open Letter to the Egyptian Ministry of Justice
We, the undersigned, call for an open and transparent investigation into the jailing and death of Shady Habash, a 24-year-old filmmaker who died in custody. More
Galal El-Behairy, Imprisoned in Egypt
Galal El-Behairy is an Egyptian poet and songwriter. He was arrested and sentenced to prison for his criticism of the government expressed in his lyrics. More
Mahmoud Abou Zeid (Shawkan) | Status: Conditional Release | Egypt
Shawkan is a journalist and photographer who often depicts daily cultural life and produces street portraits. He is a contributor to publications such as Time Magazine, Die Zeit, BILD,… More