2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award: Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, Eman Al-Nafjan
PEN America will honor imprisoned writers Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan with the 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. More
38-Year Sentence for Iranian Writer and Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Defies All Reason
“This astonishingly harsh sentence for Nasrin Sotoudeh defies all reason. After months of detention and a frustratingly opaque legal process, the decision to condemn Nasrin to decades behind bars for her… More
Conviction of Writer and Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh a Grave Miscarriage of Justice
"After months of detention, the news announcing Nasrin Sotoudeh’s conviction on a range of national security charges and the possibility of a decades-long prison sentence is a cruel blow." More
Nasser Zarafshan | Status: Released | Iran
Nasser Zarafshan, a prominent writer and attorney, was released on March 15, 2007, after serving a five-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges. More
Dozens of Writers, Artists, and Activists Demand Oleg Sentsov’s Release in Light of Hunger Strike
"The Russian Government has tried to silence Oleg Sentsov, but even from prison he continues to make his voice heard through words and actions—including this hunger strike—that demonstrate his enduring commitment to… More
2018 Literary Gala: Eskinder Nega
I ask whether those who are free have an obligation towards those of us who are not free. And I say they do. This obligation is not legal but… More
2018 Literary Gala: Presentation of the 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award
Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, are journalists who specialize in politically sensitive subjects. When arrested they were on assignment by Reuters investigating the torching and pillage… More
PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award
Established in 2016, this award is designed to honor a writer imprisoned for his or her work. More
Arrest and Inhumane Detention of Eskinder Nega an Outrageous Attack on Free Expression in Ethiopia
In Eskinder Nega's own words, as reported to PEN America, “[o]ur condition in prison is inhuman, to say the least. Better to call it [j]am-packed than imprisoned. About 200 of… More
2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award Winner Eskinder Nega Freed After Almost Seven Years in Prison in Ethiopia
We are overjoyed that Eskinder has been freed, and call on the governments of Ethiopia and the United States to ensure that he can be speedily reunited with his… More
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