PEN America Demands Iran Release Writer and Human Rights Defender Narges Mohammadi
“Narges Mohammadi has been a stalwart defender of free expression in Iran for more than a decade. This latest arrest and immediate detention in solitary confinement is a gross… More
Writer and Translator Arash Ganji Summoned to Serve Prison Sentence in Latest Assault on Free Expression in Iran
The summoning of Iranian writer and translator Arash Ganji to serve his prison sentence is the latest in the ongoing assault of free expression and human rights in Iran. More
Tell Iran to Release Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi
Join PEN America in calling on Iran to release Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, honorees of the 2021 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award. More
PEN America to Honor Imprisoned Iranian Writers and Free Expression Advocates Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi at 2021 Gala
PEN America today announces three imprisoned Iranian writers and free expression advocates—celebrated poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker Baktash Abtin; novelist and journalist Keyvan Bajan; and author, literary critic, and popular… More
Communication to the UN Commission on the Status of Women on the Persecution of Iranian Women’s Rights Defenders
We joined Iranian human rights organizations to alert the UN CSW to the persecution and prosecution of women human rights defenders in Iran. More
Rights Groups: Iranian Dissidents Remain at Risk Worldwide Without International Action
PEN America and other rights groups sound the alarm about Iran's drastic steps to silence dissidents well beyond the country's borders. More
Iranian Agents Indicted in Plot to Kidnap Journalist and Activist in the U.S.
A federal court in New York today unsealed an indictment charging four Iranians in a plot to kidnap a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and human rights advocate who had criticized… More
Biden Administration Must Prioritize Human Rights and Free Expression in Responding to Iranian Election Outcome
As Iran elects a new president, PEN America urged the Biden Administration to emphasize the country’s dire human rights situation as it responds to the outcome of the vote. More
Nasrin Sotoudeh | Status: Imprisoned | Iran
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, writer, activist, and former political prisoner, was abruptly re-arrested and beaten on October 29, 2023 as she was attending the funeral of… More