French Surveillance Bill Threatens Free Expression, Privacy
New counter-terrorism legislation passed by the lower house of the French Parliament today would dramatically expand the government’s surveillance powers and directly conflicts with France’s international legal commitments to… More
Honduras: two more journalists killed ahead of UN human rights review
The murder of two more journalists in Honduras within 24 hours highlights the government’s failure to stem the ongoing wave of violence against the Honduran media, days before the… More
Alain Mabanckou to Present Award to Charlie Hebdo
Acclaimed French-Congolese writer Alain Mabanckou will present the PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award to Charlie Hebdo at the annual PEN Literary Gala in New… More
Combating the Multiplying Challenges to the Right of Free Expression
Journalists—traditional targets of authoritarian governments who want to limit their watchdog role—are being killed in record numbers. At least 61 were murdered in 2014 alone. More
Russian Censorship Sweeps Maus Off Shelves, Chills Expression
Moscow bookstores' decision to pull Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus from shelves over concern about 'fascist symbols' is a clear example of the chilling effect of sweeping government censorship,… More
PEN outraged by targeted murder of Pakistani rights activist
The murder of Sabeen Mahmud, director of bookstore and community space The Second Floor (T2F), today in Karachi showcases the heinous fear tactics used to quash dissent in Pakistan,… More
Onslaught on Free Expression Intensifies in Turkey
In the latest onslaught on free expression, the government of Turkey made international headlines this month when it again went head-to-head with internet sites Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Google… More
Angola Must End its Persecution of Investigative Journalist
PEN calls on Angolan authorities to drop criminal defamation charges against leading journalist and anti-corruption activist Rafael Marques de Morais and cease its ongoing efforts to stifle freedom of… More
Free Speech Gets a Boost in India, but Hurdles Remain
In general, the March 24 ruling should be considered a victory. But this victory remains marred by the fact that limits on content are obscured due to an ongoing… More
PEN welcomes Twitter’s new policies to combat abusive speech online
PEN American Center welcomes today’s announcement by Twitter that it is updating its policies to better address the complex challenge of abusive and harassing speech online, while simultaneously reaffirming… More