China: Activist Convicted as Lawyer ‘Confesses’
Chinese human rights activist Zhai Yanmin was given a suspended three-year prison sentence today, the day after human rights lawyer Wang Yu “confessed” in a televised interview to… More
Brazil: authorities must investigate killing of second online political journalist
As international media attention intensifies on Brazil and its preparations to host the Olympic games from next week, the fatal shooting of political journalist João Miranda do Carmo highlights… More
August Featured Cases: Artists Under Attack
This August, PEN’S Featured Cases highlight three artists at risk, who have been harassed, arrested, fined, censored, or killed for expressing themselves and producing art for others to enjoy… More
Israel: Defense Minister Compares Revered Palestinian Poet to Hitler
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s bizarre comparison of the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to Adolf Hitler, made in the context of his worrying attempt to influence the programming… More
Mexico: Another Journalist Murdered in Veracruz
PEN America condemns the killing of Mexican journalist Pedro Tamayo Rosas. Tamayo, a reporter and editor in the eastern state of Veracruz, was shot and killed on July 20th… More
Ukraine: Veteran Journalist Murdered in Car Bombing
The killing of veteran journalist Pavel Sheremet is a grievous blow against critical journalism in Eastern Europe and demands a serious response from authorities, PEN America said today. More
A Thank You from Khadija Ismayilova
On May 25, 2016, Khadija Ismayilova, winner of the 2015 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, was released on probation and granted a suspended sentence in a Supreme Court… More
New PEN Award Will Honor Books That Promise ‘Lasting Impact on American Thought’
PEN America, the national arm of the international literary and free speech organization PEN, will unveil a new $75,000 award to recognize a book that “promises a lasting impact… More
Egypt court rejects appeal for writer jailed for ‘obscenity’
The literary and human rights organization PEN America and dozens of Egyptian and international figures in the arts, including Woody Allen, Philip Roth and Stephen Sondheim, have called on… More
Near and far, the ‘worst moment’ for journalists in memory
Has there been a more troubling time for free expression worldwide than right now? I can’t remember one. Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, has… More