Concern Raised Over Censorship Threat Against Netflix, Disney from Saudi Arabia, Gulf Neighbors
“These calls are unfortunately no surprise coming from regimes all too accustomed to censoring the stories and ideas their own citizens can access. But their attempt to inflict that… More
PRESS BRIEFING: Mon., 7/11 in DC: Middle East Dissidents and Human Rights Defenders Speak Out Ahead of President Biden’s Trip
MEDIA ADVISORY for Monday, July 11 at 2:30 PM ET (WASHINGTON)--On Monday, July 11 at 2:30 PM ET, dissidents and human rights defenders from the Middle East and Members… More
PEN America 2021 Freedom to Write Index: Myanmar Joins China and Saudi Arabia as World’s Top Jailers of Writers
During 2021, Myanmar accounted for the single-largest increase of writers and public intellectuals newly jailed for exercising free expression, due to the military junta’s crackdown on influential voices. More
Raif Badawi | Status: Conditional Release | Saudi Arabia
Raif Badawi is a blogger from Saudi Arabia and the editor of the website Liberal Saudi Network. More
Jamal Khashoggi | Status: Murdered | Saudi Arabia
Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist who had been exiled in the U.S. since mid-2017, disappeared while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, 2018; … More
Virtual Solidarity Reading to Honor Imprisoned Women Writers and Activists
On Thursday, May 27, PEN America—in partnership with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Amnesty International USA, and the makers of the documentary film NASRIN—will host a virtual reading in… More
Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, Eman Al-Nafjan | Status: Conditional Release | Saudi Arabia
Writer-activists Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan were detained without charge by the Saudi government for their outspoken dissent. More
PEN America Welcomes House Passage of Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act
In a strong bipartisan vote Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2021. More
PEN America: China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey Remain World’s Top Jailers of Writers
In PEN America’s annual census of detained writers worldwide, The Freedom to Write Index, the literary and free expression group found that in 2020, at least 273 writers, academics,… More
The PEN Pod: The Propagation of Disinformation and Protocols of Protest with Suzanne Nossel
“It’s an ecosystem—a dysfunctional, polluted ecosystem. Within that ecosystem, among the most powerful actors—no question about it—are the social media companies.” More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
‘Before the war, my words were too abstract, unsophisticated. Now my words are very precise.’ @DarynaGladun at @pen_int’s Ukrainian Literature Set Free
Be an ally when you witness online abuse. @PENAmerica and @righttobeorg’s free virtual #onlineabuse Bystander Intervention training is happening on 9/28 at 1 pm ET. #FightOnlineAbuseNow Register now https://pen.org/event/september-bystander-intervention-how-to-be-an-ally-when-you-witness-online-abuse/
Banned in the USA - Censorship
Of the 2,532 bans ➡️ 96% were enacted w/o following the best practice guidelines for book challenges outlined by the American Library Association @ALALibrary and the National Coalition Against Censorship @ncacensorship .
https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/