PEN America Denounces Decision by Montana House to Bar Transgender Lawmaker from House Floor as a “Betrayal” of the Democratic Process
“This decision by the Montana House is deeply disturbing, especially on the heels of similar actions by the Tennessee legislature to expel lawmakers and silence protesterse,” said Kate Ruane,… More
Bolton Criminal Investigation Is Part of White House Pattern of Punishing Critics
"The administration's heavy-handed and politically-motivated reaction to the publication of John Bolton's book forms part of a pattern of White House efforts to punish vocal critics." More
Ahmed Naji | Status: In Exile | 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
Turkmenistan Discouraging Use of Word Coronavirus
UPDATE: This original statement was based on an erroneous article and misrepresented the scope of the government's censorship. It has been edited to reflect more recent information. PEN America… More
Trump Threat to Pull TV Licenses Over Coronavirus Ad “Violation of First Amendment”
Silencing critics is clearly a knee-jerk reaction for the president. He has a long history of trying to exploit the legal system to scare his supposed adversaries. More
Writers Freed As Part of Ukraine Prisoner Swap
PEN America said it was immensely relieved that two journalists, Stanislav Aseyev and Oleh Halaziuk, were freed as part of a broader prisoner exchange in Ukraine on Sunday. More
Continued Detention of Cameroonian Journalist an Affront to Free Expression
"This is an obvious injustice, and one that sends a loud message to Cameroonian journalists and everyday citizens alike that the Cameroonian government does not take free expression rights… More
Kurdish-Iranian Writer Free After Six Years
"Even when Behrouz's freedom of movement was restricted, his words were not bound by those constraints." More
Park Service Abandons Protest Tax
“We are thrilled to see the right to protest in our nation’s capital preserved with today’s decision by the National Park Service." More
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