Writer and Translator Arash Ganji Summoned to Serve Prison Sentence in Latest Assault on Free Expression in Iran
The summoning of Iranian writer and translator Arash Ganji to serve his prison sentence is the latest in the ongoing assault of free expression and human rights in Iran. More
Arash Ganji | Status: Released | Iran
Arash Ganji is a prominent writer, translator, and the Secretary of the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA), who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his translation of a… More
Jineth Bedoya Lima | Status: Under Threat | Colombia
Jineth Bedoya Lima is a Colombian journalist who reports on law enforcement, paramilitary groups, and abductions within Colombia. Bedoya Lima was abducted twice while reporting—once on May 25, 2000,… 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
Ayad Akhtar’s Remarks at the 2021 PEN America Literary Gala
“Reading, of course, is an individual act, but a culture that fosters reading and one that supports writers, invariably compels us to presence, to protest, to celebration.” More
Free Expression and Education
PEN America’s free expression and education program works with schools to ensure robust protections for freedom of speech are balanced with advancements in diversity and inclusion. More
The PEN Pod: On Authoritarianism, Abortion Restrictions, and Protecting the Freedom to Learn
“They are people who deserve our support, who’ve been working as human rights defenders inside their countries, who now are faced with the loss of their livelihood.” More