PEN America, Joined by PEN Sydney and PEN Melbourne, Mourns Baktash Abtin’s Death in Solidarity with the Iranian Writers’ Association and Abtin’s Family
Following the devastating death of prominent Iranian poet, filmmaker, free expression advocate, and 2021 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write honoree Baktash Abtin in state custody from COVID-19 contracted at Tehran’s… More
PEN America Mourns “Utterly Preventable Death” of Baktash Abtin
(New York, NY) — Imprisoned Iranian poet, filmmaker, and recipient of the 2021 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award Baktash Abtin died in a Tehran hospital, succumbing to COVID-19. “Our worst… More
Chinese Authorities Poised to Put Activists Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi On Trial, PEN America and China Human Rights Defenders Warn
Chinese authorities may use the lull around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to subject prominent human rights defenders to unfair trials while much of the international community is… More
PEN America Reacts to DarkMatter Lawsuit
“Al-Hathloul’s suit is a courageous contribution to establishing that accountability and our collective safety." More
PEN America Overjoyed to See Two Defenders of the Freedom to Write Receive Nobel Peace Prize
The free expression and writers' organization PEN America today welcomed the news that journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov will receive the Nobel Peace Prize. More
Court Formally Dissolves PEN Belarus
As Belarus marks one year since a fraudulent election kept President Aleksandr Lukashenka in power, a court in the country today formally dissolved PEN America's sister organization PEN Belarus. More
Imprisoned Chinese Activist Xu Zhiyong Indicted for ‘Subversion’
Lawyers for imprisoned Chinese activist and writer Xu Zhiyong—the 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write honoree—indicated this week that he's now been indicted for “subversion,” alongside fellow human rights lawyer… More
Iranian Agents Indicted in Plot to Kidnap Journalist and Activist in the U.S.
A federal court in New York today unsealed an indictment charging four Iranians in a plot to kidnap a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and human rights advocate who had criticized… More
Biden Administration Must Prioritize Human Rights and Free Expression in Responding to Iranian Election Outcome
As Iran elects a new president, PEN America urged the Biden Administration to emphasize the country’s dire human rights situation as it responds to the outcome of the vote. More
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A Turkish court has detained well-known journalist Sedef Kabas for allegedly insulting the country's president. She is accused of targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a proverb which she quoted on live television on an opposition-linked TV channel.https://bbc.in/3IvGYva
ICYMI: We spoke with Quiara Alegría Hudes, author of MY BROKEN LANGUAGE, about which writers she's most excited by right now, what prompted her to write MY BROKEN LANGUAGE, and more: https://pen.org/the-pen-ten-quiara-alegria-hudes. #PENTen
