Iran Bans Print Media in Response to COVID-19
(New York, NY) – In response to an Iranian coronavirus task force's wholesale ban on print media, Summer Lopez, PEN America's senior director of free expression programs, issued the following… More
Nasrin Sotoudeh | Status: In Prison | Iran
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent writer, human rights lawyer and activist, was abruptly re-arrested on June 13, 2018, and taken to Evin prison. Her arrest came shortly after her legal… More
Arrest of Writer and Translator Arash Ganji Is an Unwarranted Attack on Freedom of Expression in Iran
“The Iranian authorities have blatantly targeted Arash Ganji for his writing and work to foster free expression and cross-cultural literary understanding." More
Iran’s Abusive Internet Shutdown Illustrates Dangers of ‘National Internet’
“The Iranian government’s decision to impose a nationwide blackout on global Internet access in order to suppress news of anti-government protests is deeply abusive, completely unjustifiable, and clearly self-serving." More
Exiled Iranian Dissident and Journalist Lured Back to Iran, Detained
“The reported detention of Rouhollah Zam is another case of the Iranian government silencing and punishing any form of dissent, as reflected by the widespread recent crackdown on journalists,… More
Conviction of Writer and Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh a Grave Miscarriage of Justice
"After months of detention, the news announcing Nasrin Sotoudeh’s conviction on a range of national security charges and the possibility of a decades-long prison sentence is a cruel blow." More
Re-arrest and Detention of Nasrin Sotoudeh a Vindictive Attempt to Silence Human Rights Activism
“The arrest and conviction of Nasrin Sotoudeh is indicative of the draconian measures the Iranian government will take to silence critical voices.” More
Iran: Journalist Narges Mohammadi due to stand trial on April 20
PEN calls on the Iranian authorities to release journalist Narges Mohammadi immediately and unconditionally. More
Atena Farghadani | Status: Released | Iran
Atena Farghadani is an Iranian artist and political activist. She was first arrested in August 2014 for a cartoon she drew lampooning a family planning law, which depicted lawmakers… More
Iran: Upcoming appeal of prominent Kurdish filmmaker Keywan Karimi
PEN calls on Iranian authorities to accept filmmaker Keyvan Karimi's appeal and overturn his conviction and sentence of six years' imprisonment and 223 lashes. More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
NEW: The navy's decision to suspend a captain for speaking out about a #COVID19 outbreak on his ship is "shameful" and should alarm anyone who values the First Amendment, says our CEO @SuzanneNossel. Read our statement: https://bit.ly/2UWj5Wv
As COVID-19 takes the world by storm, cartoonists and illustrators are expressing statements of solidarity, sharing experiences (and grievances), and laughing a little. https://bit.ly/2UzFV7b
A controversial Israeli cyber-security company is marketing software that uses mobile phone data to monitor and predict the spread of the coronavirus. https://bbc.in/2R4UTQu