PEN America Demands Release of Russian Artist Alexandra Skochilenko, Arrested for Replacing Supermarket Price Labels with Anti-War Messages
“While the Russian authorities have been cracking down on artistic expression for years, the outbreak of the war has resulted in an exponentially more perilous environment for artists. They… More
Russian Social Media Platform Threatens Free Expression
The acquisition of Russia’s most popular social network by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin puts another nail in the coffin for free expression in the country. More
Nobel Prize to Dmitry Muratov is a Sign that the World Should Unite to Confront Kremlin’s Foreign Agent Law
The Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is an important step to acknowledge the crackdown on independent media by authoritarian regimes. More
The PEN Pod: On Reporting on Russia and the Climate for Foreign Journalists with Sarah Rainsford
“The climate for journalism and generally in Russia is closing down. It’s changing, it’s getting harder, it’s getting tougher. And for some reason, I appear to have been singled… More
The PEN Pod: On Vaccine Misinformation, the Capitol Insurrection, and Crackdowns on Journalists in Russia
“It’s extremely important to get [the Capitol insurrection] down as a first draft of history that cannot be wished away or ignored.” More
The PEN Pod: The Russian Key with Jeri Laber
“The human rights movement now is facing more problems than ever, and it’s more necessary than ever before. We have serious human rights problems in the United States.” More
The PEN Pod: On the Arrest of Raman Pratasevich and Free Speech on Social Media
“This disturbing trend of reaching across borders to nab people that regimes see as a threat. . . [is] a new demonstration of how far these governments are willing… More
Yury Dmitriev | Status: Imprisoned | Russia
Yury Dmitriev, Russian historian and head of the Karelian branch of the human rights center Memorial, was detained in Petrozavodsk on December 13, 2016, on suspicion of production of… More
Case Against Journalist Svetlana Prokopieva Exemplifies Broken Russian System
Svetlana Prokopieva’s case is worryingly emblematic of the free expression situation in Russia and the closing space for anyone to freely voice their opinion. More
Drop Charges Against Russian Theater Director Kirill Serebrennikov
PEN America’s Artists At Risk Connection, together with a coalition of human rights and film organizations, call for the charges against Kirill Serebrennikov and his codefendants to immediately be… More
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Entertainment Weekly (@EW) asked LGBTQ authors to pick books by other queer authors that bring them joy. https://ew.com/books/lgbtq-books-queer-joy-celebrating-art/
What are the 25 most influential New York novels published between 1921 and 2021? @nytimes judges share their top picks, including PEN America president @ayadakhtar’s HOMELAND ELEGIES! https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/t-magazine/new-york-city-novels-books.html
Is it true that since K-12 teachers don’t have free speech rights in the classroom, educational gag orders don’t raise any Constitutional concerns? Here are 5 popular myths about educational gag orders debunked by PEN America: https://bit.ly/3n9QviZ.
