On anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, PEN America calls for an end to the suppression of free thought and expression in Iran
PEN America calls upon the Iranian government to cease its continued persecution of dissident voices and to release artists, writers, and creatives sentenced to prison. More
PEN America Condemns Arrest of Iranian Musician Mehdi Yarrahi and Subsequent Work Ban on ‘Cultural Activists’
PEN America condemns the arrest of Iranian musician Mehdi Yarrahi following the release of his song “Your Head Scarf” which protests the long-standing mandatory hijab rule imposed in the… More
New PEN America Report: Crackdown on Anti-Government Protests in Iran Swells the Number of Jailed Writers
“Iran’s creative community—long at the forefront of fighting for free expression and human rights—was singled out as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in 2022,” said Karin Deutsch… More
PEN America Demands the Immediate Release of Kurdish Rapper Saman Yasin After Request for Amnesty Was Denied
"Our hearts go out to Yasin and his family and friends, and we urge the Iranian authorities to grant him amnesty and release him from prison at once,” said… More
2021 Freedom to Write Honoree Keyvan Bajan Is Released from Prison in Iran After Nearly One And a Half Years
Iran is among the world’s most restrictive countries for freedom of expression. In 2020, PEN America found that Iran imprisoned the fourth-highest number of writers and public intellectuals in… More
IRAN: Writer and journalist released after almost 10 years in prison
PEN welcomes news of the release of prominent Iranian journalist and writer Mohammad Sadiq Kabudvand, who was released on May 12, 2017. Kabudvand was serving a 10-year prison sentence on… More
Shahla Lahiji | Status: Released | Iran
The first woman to run a publishing house in Iran, Shahla Lahiji is one of 19 Iranian writers and intellectuals prosecuted in Tehran for participating in an academic and… More
IRAN: Serious Concern for Health of Imprisoned Filmmaker Keywan Karimi
PEN is seriously concerned for the health of imprisoned filmmaker Keywan Karimi. The prominent Kurdish filmmaker, who has been in prison since 23 November 2016, is in need of… More
July Featured Cases: Fighting for LGBT Equality
July’s featured cases represent some of the horrifying consequences of simply expressing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), of working towards acceptance and understanding of individuals’ SOGI, and… More
Joint Letter to Rouhani: Secure Release of Iranian Cartoonist Atena Farghadani
PEN American is among 40 rights groups who have signed a letter to President Hassan Rouhani below, asking him to work with Iran’s judiciary to release cartoonist Atena Farghadani. More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?