(NEW YORK)— Recent reports of the arrests of a number of writers in Iran indicate a renewed crackdown on dissenting voices during and in the wake of the war between Iran and Israel, PEN America said today, and urged Iranian authorities to cease targeting people exercising their peaceful expression.
“Countries have long used war and conflict as an excuse to clamp down on free expression, and Iran is no exception,” said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, PEN America’s director of Writers at Risk. “Using the pretext of national security, authorities are swiftly moving to stamp out criticism and silence those who express dissenting viewpoints, who advocate for human rights, or who call for an end to hostilities.”
During and following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which appears to have ended with a ceasefire on June 24, the Iranian regime escalated its internal repression. Authorities launched a new wave of arrests, targeting writers alongside hundreds of political, social, and cultural activists; members of ethnic and religious minority groups such as the Kurds and Baha’is; and others.
“We call on the Iranian authorities to allow Iranians to speak and write without fear of arrest or other repercussions, during a time when it is crucial that the world hears their voices,” said Karlekar. “We also insist that authorities urgently release prisoners detained for their speech and prioritize the safety of jailed writers and other political prisoners.”
During the June 23 Israeli air strike on Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, in which multiple writers and other human rights defenders are held, dozens of people were killed in and around the prison. Despite receiving prior warnings, officials refused to evacuate prisoners and cancelled all prisoner leave requests. States are responsible for the safety of all civilians – including political prisoners, writers, and human rights defenders.
Among those recently detained is dissident blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who was arrested by security forces on June 24. His brother Hassan was also severely beaten and arrested a week before. A well-known writer and activist, Ronaghi has a long history of persecution by Iranian authorities and was previously imprisoned in 2022, sending him to the brink of death. He and his family have been periodically harassed in the years that followed. There has been no communication from Ronaghi since his most recent arrest.
Rapper Toomaj Salehi, a former political prisoner, was also briefly arrested and interrogated on June 19. Salehi was sentenced to death in April 2024 for the serious charge of “war against God” before the sentence was overturned; he may face additional charges for his music and expression.
In addition, playwright and theater director Ali Qebchaq-Shahi, who belongs to the Azeri ethnic minority, was detained on June 26. Prominent cartoonist and writer Rahim Baghal Aghari, who is also part of the Turkic minority, was arrested on June 24.
Blogger and activist Donya Hosseini, a popular blogger with the Instagram handle ‘Donya Azad’ (Free World) who had supported the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement, was arrested in a home raid on June 16 on unknown charges and transferred to Evin prison, where she was held incommunicado for 12 days.
PEN America remains gravely concerned about conditions for long-standing political prisoners including writers, particularly following the June 23 Israeli air strike on Evin Prison. Following the strike, many male prisoners were reportedly moved to Greater Tehran Prison, while female prisoners have been transferred to Qarchak Prison, which is notorious for its dangerous and unsanitary conditions. A number of writers and activists on whose behalf PEN America has advocated in recent years–including writer and women’s rights activist Golrokh Ebrahimee Iraee; translator and labor rights activist Anisha Asadollahi; and Reza Khandan, activist and husband of the 2011 PEN Freedom to Write Awardee Nasrin Sotoudeh–remain at grave risk because of poor prison conditions and the threat of custodial abuse. Many family members of prisoners have expressed grave concern for their loved ones. Authorities have reportedly threatened those inquiring about missing prisoners.
In PEN America’s 2024 Freedom to Write Index, Iran ranked in second place globally, jailing a total of 43 writers during the year. Of this total, 30 are men and 13 (30 percent) are women. This figure represents a continued decline in numbers from the sharp spike seen in 2022 when writers were caught up in a wide-ranging crackdown on protests and other forms of dissent, including by the creative community, during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. Of those who were released, many remain either subject to conditions limiting their free expression, and a significant number have fled into exile. More information on PEN America’s work on Iran is available here.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.