PEN America Condemns Assault and Detention of Palestinian Author Hanan Awwad
"We condemn and are deeply distressed by the assault and detention of Hanan Awwad by Israeli soldiers. The assault is not just an attack on an individual, but on… More
India Must Drop the Prosecution of Author Arundhati Roy
“We condemn the escalatory tactics used against Arundhati Roy. This case demonstrates all too clearly how protracted legal harassment, now coupled with the threat of charges under the repressive… More
High-Profile Supporters Join PEN America to Call for the Release of Narges Mohammadi Ahead of Nobel Prize Ceremony
Hundreds of the world’s most prominent writers, artists, human rights activists, allies, and civil society organizations have signed on to an open letter created by PEN America calling for… More
PEN America Welcomes Bill to Hold Foreign Governments Accountable When They Trample on the Rights of Dissidents Living in the U.S.
“Writers and artists around the world face continued threats to their safety by regimes seeking to force them into silence. Transnational repression compounds these threats, menacing the exiled and… More
Narges Mohammadi, The Iranian Writer Speaking Out From Behind Bars
Narges Mohammadi has been a target of Iranian authorities for more than 30 years. She was arrested twice at meetings of a political student group. More
Growing Repression and Persecution of Writers and Artists in Belarus, Ahead of Third Anniversary of Illegitimate Presidential Election
“Belarusians are enduring profound restrictions of their fundamental rights and their cultural heritage is under serious threat and the world is not doing enough to preserve it. If we… More
New Arrest of Journalist in Yemen Renews Fears from Ongoing Threats Against Free Expression
"Authorities in Taiz should release Jameel al-Samat at once, and all relevant authorities in Yemen must stop attacks and detentions of those who peacefully express themselves.” More
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
New PEN America Report: Crackdown on Anti-Government Protests in Iran Swells the Number of Jailed Writers
“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
China Again the World’s Largest Jailer of Writers, with Free Expression Under Continued Assault
“Writers have faced the full might of the Chinese Communist Party’s security apparatus,” said Angeli Datt, who leads PEN America’s China research and advocacy. “They’ve been harassed, disappeared, detained,… More