Ahmed Naji | Status: Released | Egypt
Ahmed Naji was temporarily released from prison in Egypt on December 22, 2016, after his two-year prison sentence for “violating public modesty” was suspended by an appeals court on… More
Oleg Sentsov | Status: In Prison | Russia
Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director, was sentenced to 20 years in a Russian prison on charges of terrorism on August 25, 2015. PEN believes that the charges stem… More
PEN America to Honor Youth Activists Against Gun Violence at 2018 Literary Gala, May 22
“We are awed by these students’ bracing and courageous exercise of their free expression rights in the face of crushing personal tragedy. They have used their voices fearlessly to… More
Dareen Tatour Reads “A Poet’s Hallucinations”
Loneliness came in, taking me by surprise / Without knocking on my door / Like an impolite guest. / It sat at my desk / Picked up my pen… More
Conflict Deepens Between the Russian Ministry of Culture and Leading Cultural Figures
Cultural figures like Raikin resist, and while we do not know who will win in this fight, it is likely that history will remember the names of Serebrennikov and… More
From Nigeria to New York: A Writer at Risk Joins Fordham University’s Faculty
Ugbabe’s fiction delves deep into the fabric of Nigerian life, exploring the psyche and identities of women as they negotiate their way through changing situations and circumstances in life. More
“They Killed Him”: Denial of Medical Care in China and the Literary Conscience
As a matter of medicine, it was of course cancer that took Liu’s life. But the responsibility for his death must rest on the shoulders of the Chinese state. More
SLAPPs: The Greatest Free Expression Threat You’ve Never Heard Of?
SLAPPs are a prevalent and serious—but still under-acknowledged—threat to free speech and expression. It should never be “unaffordable” to speak up. More
Power Must Be Reasonable: A Conversation with Alexander Sokurov and Kirill Serebrennikov
A government that has power has a definite responsibility. And when the authorities become aware of their own power, a great number of temptations begin to arise. More
“I’m on the Move”: Oleg Sentsov Sends Letter from Prison
Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov managed to send a letter from prison to Russian human rights defender Zoya Svetova. Here, PEN America translates the letter into English for the first time. More
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PEN America On Twitter
Award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam, who was accused of spreading "false propaganda" after criticizing the Bangladesh government for attacking journalists and student protesters, has been denied bail. https://t.co/ISNgH1dGBm
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