International Groups Call on Turkey’s Parliament to Reject the “Disinformation” Bill as a Tool of Digital Censorship
PEN America joins international calls for Turkey’s parliament to reject the “disinformation” bill as a tool of digital censorship. More
Turkey: Charges Against Kurdish PEN Member Must Be Dropped
PEN is deeply concerned for the well-being of Kurdish PEN member, writer and poet Meral Şimşek, who is facing up to 20 years on two separate charges. PEN believes… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Zülfü Livaneli
“I have no regrets about my work. I wouldn’t want to change a single word I’ve written. . . . I’ve been sentenced several times because of [my] poem,… More
Cracking Down on Creative Voices: Turkey’s Silencing of Writers, Intellectuals, and Artists Five Years After the Failed Coup
PEN America outlines the legal mechanisms that the Turkish government has used to silence writers, activists, artists, academics, and creative professionals. More
Aslı Erdoğan | Status: On Trial | Turkey
Aslı Erdoğan is a renowned novelist and human rights activist in Turkey who faced terrorism charges for her journalistic work. More
Turkey Must Release Osman Kavala and Drop Charges Against Him and Henri Barkey
“This new indictment is yet another egregious attack on the human rights of Osman Kavala, who has dedicated his life to promoting cultural collaborations and advocating for the rights… More
Ahmet Altan, Imprisoned in Turkey
Ahmet Altan is the founder of Taraf, who was arrested for allegedly spreading subliminal messages on television before an attempted coup against Erdoğan. More
PEN America is “Deeply Relieved” that Turkish Court Tossed Spurious Charges Against Journalists and Activists After Three-Year Legal Battle
“We are deeply relieved that after more than three years of absurd legal proceedings, justice has finally been served for these dedicated free expression activists, whose only crime was… More
Zehra Doğan | Status: In Exile | Turkey
Zehra Doğan, a Turkish journalist and artist, was sentenced on March 24, 2017 to two years and ten months in prison for creating a painting of a Turkish city… More
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PEN America On 
Walking on Eggshells: Teachers' Responses to Classroom Limitations on Race- or Gender-Related Topics
@RANDCorporation report on educational gag orders shows #teachers are self-censoring and restrictions are falling disproportionately on Black teachers.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-16.html
@PENamerica predicted in November 2021: "These bills will have a chilling effect on the speech of educators." We wish we had been wrong. State legislators: did you want teachers more afraid and students learning less? Because that's what you've created. https://pen.org/report/educational-gag-orders/
Then there’s this 🙄 https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1619505262024601601