PEN America and PEN Sydney Join More than 170 Writers Calling for the Release of Iranian Poet Ali Asadollahi and Other Writers Imprisoned in Iran
“Since the outpouring of sustained nationwide protests against the government in September, Iran’s writers and broader creative community have been caught in the crosshairs, targeted by authorities with preventative… More
PEN America Condemns Execution of Iranian Activist Mohsen Shekari After Conviction for Participation in Protests
“We are horrified by the shocking execution of Mohsen Shekari and the terrifying precedent this sets for artists and protestors currently held in Iranian prisons. The Iranian government clearly… More
“Deeply Disappointing” That Biden Administration is Shielding Saudi Crown Prince from Accountibility in Murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi
"After promises of seeking justice for Jamal Khashoggi's murder, it is deeply disappointing to see the Biden Administration take the voluntary step of shielding Mohamed bin Salman from accountability for this egregious… More
PEN America Recognizes the Courage and Activism of Nobel Peace Prize Winners in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus
“Living under a government determined to break the will of even its most stalwart critics, Bialiatski has fought for human rights unflinchingly for decades, sacrificing his freedom, safety, and… More
Joint letter calling for release of Arash Ganji and other IWA members in Iran
PEN America and its allies call on the Supreme Leader of Iran to urgently release filmmaker and poet Baktash Abtin and all unjustly detained for their writing or expression. More
PEN America Calls for the Immediate Acquittal and Release of Mongolian Activist Munkhbayar Chuluundorj Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Protesting China-Mongolia Relations
“The harsh and unjust verdict in Munkhbayar Chuluundorj’s trial is a grave violation of the fundamental right to free expression,” says Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to… More
PEN America Condemns Sentencing of Myanmar Writer-Activist Wai Moe Naing and Calls for His Release
“The sentencing of Wai Moe Naing following months of arbitrary detention and an unfair trial blatantly flouts international judicial standards and reveals the Myanmar junta’s deliberate effort to silence… More
Artist Jenny Holzer to Light Up Rockefeller Center in Tribute to PEN America’s 100 Years of Defending Free Expression
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, said: “Because her work reifies and celebrates words, there could not be an artist more fitting to celebrate PEN America’s centenary than the… More
PEN America Calls for the Immediate Release of Vietnamese Human Rights Defender Pham Doan Trang, and Raises Grave Concerns For Her Health
“The unjust imprisonment of Pham Doan Trang on the arbitrary charge of anti-state propaganda is, unfortunately, another example of the Vietnamese government’s persecution of journalists and human rights defenders… More
Grave Concern for Poet Zhang Guiqi, Sentenced to Six Years in Prison, for Calling on Xi Jinping to Step Down
PEN America and the Independent Chinese PEN Centre condemn the conviction of poet Zhang Guiqi and calls for his immediate release. More