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PEN America Decries Continued Imprisonment of Poet Galal El-Behairy, Who is Prepared to Escalate his Hunger Strike by Refusing Water

Press ReleaseMay 31, 2023

“Five years of arbitrary detention for nothing other than writing poetry and song lyrics has brought Galal El-Behairy to a point where his life is potentially in critical danger,… More

Narges Mohammadi: The Iranian Writer Speaking Out From Behind Bars

InterviewMay 15, 2023

By Rachel Powers From a prison on the outskirts of Tehran, Narges Mohammadi interviewed fellow prisoners about the abusive treatment and inhumane conditions they have endured and shared letters to… More

New Report: 16 Writers and Public Intellectuals Jailed in Belarus in 2022, with 33 Writers at Risk for Persecution

Press ReleaseApril 27, 2023

“Belarusian culture does not have a place in its own country,” said Polina Sadovskaya, Eurasia and Advocacy Director at PEN America. “In 2022, the jailing of writers and public… More

New PEN America Report: Crackdown on Anti-Government Protests in Iran Swells the Number of Jailed Writers

Press ReleaseApril 27, 2023

“Iran’s creative community—long at the forefront of fighting for free expression and human rights—was singled out as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in 2022,” said Karin Deutsch… More

Xu Zhiyong headshot

PEN America Condemns 14-Year Sentence Handed Down to Freedom to Write Honoree Xu Zhiyong

Press ReleaseApril 10, 2023

“This 14-year sentence is a shocking and desperate act from the state to hide Xu Zhiyong from the people of China and the world. But his writing lives on… More

Open Letter Calls for Probe of Inhumane Treatment of Imprisoned Chinese Writer

Press ReleaseApril 3, 2023

Angeli Datt, PEN America’s China research and advocacy lead, said: “The reports of the treatment of Mr Lü Gengsong in prison are troubling and we call for an immediate… More

PEN America/PEN International: Chinese Authorities Should Immediately Release Blogger Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

Press ReleaseMarch 23, 2023

“The seven-year prison sentence handed down to Ruan Xiaohuan for his politics and technology blog is an outrage. Blogging is not a crime and the heavy prison sentence on… More

Egyptian Poet Galal El-Behairy—Jailed for Five Years for Writing a Song—Joins Hunger Strike Over Inhumane Conditions

Press ReleaseMarch 9, 2023

“Galal El-Behairy’s continuing imprisonment and the revolving door of charges he faces--for writing a song--are an outrage, especially given that he has already completed a sentence on spurious charges.… More

Court in India Urged to Release Writer Vernon Gonsalves, as His Health Worsens

Press ReleaseSeptember 14, 2022

“The continued detention of Vernon Gonsalves puts his life at imminent risk and stems from arbitrary accusations which have yet to be proven, while he has languished for years… More

PEN America Calls for the Immediate Acquittal and Release of Mongolian Activist Munkhbayar Chuluundorj Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Protesting China-Mongolia Relations

Press ReleaseSeptember 13, 2022

“The harsh and unjust verdict in Munkhbayar Chuluundorj’s trial is a grave violation of the fundamental right to free expression,” says Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to… More

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  • What's New
PEN America Responds to Florida School District’s Offer to Remove LGBTQ Pages from Yearbook
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Grace E. Lavery
PEN America Decries Continued Imprisonment of Poet Galal El-Behairy, Who is Prepared to Escalate his Hunger Strike by Refusing Water
PEN America Defends as Protected Speech a City University of New York Law Student’s Commencement Criticism of Israel and New York Police

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