The PEN Pod: Finding Inspiration in History with Maaza Mengiste
“What writers and novelists force us to do in the work is to pause. . . And if there’s anything that COVID has made me consider, it’s how we… More
The PEN Pod: Honoring PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Winner Xu Zhiyong with Teng Biao
“The people fighting for freedom of expression in China actually are fighting for the people’s health and lives—not only in China, but also the whole world.” More
PEN America: China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey Are World’s Worst Jailers of Writers
"The Index spotlights governments’ nefarious will to suppress truth and control the public mind by silencing writers who dare challenge authority." More
Nasrin Sotoudeh, Imprisoned in Iran
Nasrin Sotoudeh is a human rights lawyer and public intellectual who has faced harassment and intimidation for years and spent time in and out of prison. More
Russian Historian and Writer Must Be Released Amid Pandemic
"The refusal to release Dmitriev at this moment is an act of cruelty and yet another absurdity in his case." More
PEN America Concerned Over Detained Chinese Poet’s Safety
PEN America is concerned that the continuing lack of publicly available information around the detention of Chinese poet Cui Haoxin, arrested in late January, may enable Chinese authorities to… More
Stanislav Aseyev | Status: Released | Ukraine
Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev, who writes under the pen name Vasin, was captured by Russian-supported rebels on June 2, 2017. Aseyev was based in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk and… More
Oleh Halaziuk | Status: Released | Ukraine
Oleh Halaziuk, a columnist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has been detained since August 2017 by Russian-supported rebels in the Donetsk region of Eastern Ukraine. More
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As we approach #BannedBooksWeek, PEN America is dedicated to fighting against censorship. Make your gift and support the #FreedomToWrite today. https://bit.ly/3i1gy6F
Political rhetoric from Trump & the US AG is trickling down, bolstering federal prosecutorial efforts to build a national police power and to impose extreme penalties on protesters. Penalties for First Amendment activity have risen since Trump took office. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/27/917424823/critics-say-federal-prosecutors-are-pushing-the-envelope-with-protest-charges