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
Narges Mohammadi, The Iranian Writer Speaking Out From Behind Bars
Mohammadi has been a target of Iranian authorities for more than 30 years—since she was a student at Imam Khomeini International University writing about women’s rights for her student… 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
PEN America Calls on China to Release Taiwan-based Publisher Li Yanhe
Li Yanhe had published books by Chinese dissidents and on subjects that otherwise would have been banned by Beijing. He has given Chinese-language readers access to different ideas and… More
PEN America/PEN International: Chinese Authorities Should Immediately Release Blogger Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
“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
Hong Kong Authorities Should Drop Sedition Charges Against Booksellers, PEN America Says
“Producing and selling a book about Hong Kong’s 2019 protest movement is not a crime. Hong Kong authorities are attempting to rewrite the history of the protests by arresting… More
Egyptian Poet Galal El-Behairy—Jailed for Five Years for Writing a Song—Joins Hunger Strike Over Inhumane Conditions
“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
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