PEN America Appalled by Death in Detention of Myanmar Poet
PEN America condemned the killing of poet Khet Thi and called on the ruling junta in Myanmar to cease targeting those speaking out. More
Biden’s Iran Policy Must Include Focus on Human Rights, Groups Say in Joint Letter
Today PEN America and the Center for Human Rights in Iran, along with a coalition of human rights organizations, sent a joint letter to President Biden urging his administration… More
Myanmar’s Escalating Digital Repression—and Activists’ Digital Resistance
Since Myanmar’s military seized power on February 1, it has employed increasingly sophisticated digital modes of repression, alongside physical and legal measures, to try to stem democratic resistance. More
PEN America Condemns Indian Government Attempts to Block COVID Criticism
PEN America today condemned the Indian government’s attempts to stifle free expression by censoring social media posts amid the country’s battle with a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. 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
On One Year Anniversary of His Arrest, Vietnamese Writer Tran Duc Thach Must Be Freed
— On the one year anniversary of Vietnamese writer Tran Duc Thach’s arrest, PEN America reiterates its call for Vietnamese authorities to release him. 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
Seven Ways Myanmar’s Military is Cracking Down on Free Expression in the Wake of the Coup
As the United Nations warns that Myanmar could descend into “full blown conflict,” the risks to writers, demonstrators, journalists, human rights activists, and artists couldn’t be more dire. More
Detained Belarusian PEN Center Member Must Be Released
PEN America today called for the immediate release of Belarusian PEN Center member Aliaksandr Fiaduta, a political scientist, literary critic, and former aid to Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. More