Hong Kong: Bookseller’s Return Welcome News but Colleagues Remain in Detention
Bookseller Lui Por’s return to Hong Kong is welcome news, but the continuing detention of his four colleagues is an ongoing violation of free expression and Hong Kong’s constitution,… More
Turkey: Commandeering of Newspapers Blatant Attempt to Wipe Out Free Press
A court order to appoint trustees to oversee the Turkish newspapers Zaman and Today’s Zaman is an astonishingly blatant attempt to wipe out Turkey’s free press, PEN America said… More
Brazil: Arrest of Facebook Executive a Drastic and Unnecessary Measure
The arrest of a Facebook executive by Brazilian authorities over the inability of Whatsapp, a Facebook subsidiary, to hand over data it does not have is an egregious judicial… 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
Turkey: Writer on trial for alleged criminal defamation
PEN is concerned at news that Turkish writer and columnist Perihan Mağden is facing trial for allegedly defaming the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan under Article 299 of… More
Egypt: Sentencing of Novelist a Direct Attack on Writers
The sentencing of Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji to two years in prison for “violating public modesty” is a direct attack on writers that underscores the dire state of free… More
Bahrain: Charging of U.S. Journalists Signals Kingdom’s Ongoing Hostility towards Free Speech
Bahraini authorities’ decision to arrest and charge four U.S. journalists for reporting on a protest marking the fifth anniversary of pro-democracy uprisings in the kingdom is a clear violation… More
Israel: End use of administrative detention to detain journalists
PEN is calling on the Israeli authorities to end the practice of administrative detention against journalists and other writers. More
Georgia: Poet and rights activist arrested, physically abused, and facing trial
PEN believes that Georgeian poet and activist Irakli Kakabadze’s arrest and the legal proceedings against him are in connection to his peaceful exercise of his right to protest. More
Thailand: British rights activist faces defamation trial
PEN condemns a Bangkok court’s January 18 decision to indict migrant rights activist Andy Hall on charges of criminal defamation and computer crimes in connection with a report published… More
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PEN America On 
Belarus’ authoritarian president said Friday he’s prepared to invite Russian troops into the country if such a move is necessary to ensure the security of both Belarus and Russia. https://bit.ly/3lgIl8z
In our latest episode of #thePENpod, we delve into Mitch McConnell’s comments on the role of misinformation in vaccine hesitancy, the January 6 insurrection public hearings, and continued crackdowns on journalists in Russia: https://bit.ly/3BUEtQt.
In just under six months Myanmar has become one of the worst jailers of journalists in the world, with at least 32 currently detained, a media freedom watchdog said Wednesday. https://bit.ly/3j7nK3Z
