PEN America Condemns “Egregious” Sentences Against Blogger and Journalists in Belarus
Since the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, internationally regarded as neither free nor fair, Lukashenka’s government has jailed journalists, writers, and other cultural figures on politically-motivated charges for expressing… More
PEN America Condemns Convictions of Asheville, NC Journalists Arrested for Filming Police Clearing of Encampment of Homeless People
(NEW YORK) – The arrests and convictions of two North Carolina journalists on trespassing charges for filming police as they cleared an encampment of homeless people sets a “dangerous… More
PEN America, in Partnership with Bard College, Establishes Digital Archive to Preserve Independent Reporting by Russian Journalists During Vladimir Putin’s Rule
“Truthful accounts of the last 20-plus years of Russian history risk being erased if we don’t create this ‘digital ark’ to save the work of independent journalists,’’ said Dru… More
PEN America Calls on Twitter to Remove “State-affiliated Media” Designation from NPR’s Twitter Account
“Twitter defines state-affiliated media as ‘outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.’ That… More
Sharp Criticism of Decision Designating Journalists Group in Belarus “Extremist”
The designation underscores the Belarusian authorities’ escalating attacks on independent journalism and free expression since Aleksander Lukashenka’s 2020 reelection, internationally regarded as “fraudulent.” More
PEN America Condemns Proposed Florida Bill that Would Enact Radical Changes to Defamation Law, Posing a “Grave Threat” to a Free Press and Free Speech
“With this legislation, Florida politicians seek to insulate themselves from criticism and weaponize the courts to chill speech and attack journalists,” said Kate Ruane, director of PEN America’s US… More
PEN America Calls on Algeria to Release Journalist Mustapha Bendjema from Detention
“By arresting journalists and shuttering human rights organizations and independent media outlets, the Algerian government is signaling that it is doubling down on repression instead of allowing the Algerian… More
PEN America Condemns Ongoing Russian Efforts to Stifle Independent Media and Civil Society
“The Russian Federation is using every tactic in the book to silence criticism and open debate. Laws that define organizations as ‘undesirable,’ that limit their options to receive funding,… More
PEN America Welcomes Justice Department Ban on Seizure of Journalists’ Records
“Whether borne of concerns about national security or as a misuse of resources for political ends, the specter of criminal investigation casts a pall over the ability of journalists… More
PEN America Decries Shutdown of Tunisian TV Station Over Critical Poem
Tunisian government officials this week shut down a television station after a host read aloud a poem critical of dictatorship. More
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