P. Varavara Rao, Detained in India
P. Varavara Rao is an Indian poet, literary critic, and political activist who has been frequently targeted by authorities for his political opinions. More
Galal El-Behairy, Imprisoned in Egypt
Galal El-Behairy is an Egyptian poet and songwriter. He was arrested and sentenced to prison for his criticism of the government expressed in his lyrics. More
The PEN Pod: In This Together with M. NourbeSe Philip
“It’s true that we are all in this together, but there’s a sense in which we have not been in this together.” 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
China’s Detention of Muslim Poet is Attempt to Silence Opposition
“While we don’t know what precisely triggered An Ran’s detention this time, it is patently obvious that he is being targeted yet again for his courage in acting as… More
PEN America: China Must Not Intimidate Those Who Honor Imprisoned Publisher
"State officials kidnapped Gui Minhai, forced him into a series of staged confessions, and have held him against his will for years, in a breathtakingly blatant violation of human… More
PEN America Welcomes News of Imprisoned Publisher’s Upcoming Poetry Collection
“We enthusiastically welcome the news of Gui Minhai’s forthcoming book of poetry, which will serve not only as a literary work but also as a reminder that Gui continues… More
Intimidation of Muslim Poet an Effort to Silence Writers’ Engagement on Xinjiang
“An Ran, a poet, is speaking out on one of the most important human rights issues of our day. Instead of attempting to shut him down, authorities should be… More
Three-Year Prison Sentence for Poet Galal El-Behairy is Another Blow for Freedom of Expression in Egypt
“To criminalize poetry and songs is to denigrate the most universal forms of human expression,” said Julie Trébault, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) Director. More
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PEN America On 
Trump and Biden have both called for an end to #Section230, the law that protects websites from being responsible for their users. We read four proposals from the Senate and DOJ and found three and a half ways not to fix the internet: https://bit.ly/3dUCiz4.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said he would veto a bill regulating fake news, which has also been criticized by social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter, if it comes to his desk from Congress in its present shape. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-politics-fake-news-idUSKBN2433FN
PEN America and @pen_belarus demand the immediate release of recognized Belarusian philanthropist Viktar Babaryka and his son, Eduard, and call for the removal of restrictions on their cultural projects: https://rb.gy/ekv5r1.