NEW YORK—In response to the death of Ukrainian investigative journalist Vadym Komarov, who died June 20 after experiencing a brutal beating in the town of Cherkasy on May 4 that left him in a coma, PEN America released the following statement:

“Every attack on a journalist is an attack on the truth, and an attempt to silence those who would expose it. Impunity for murders of investigative journalists begets more murders, and tragically, we are seeing that play out in Europe, where Vadym Komarov now joins a list that includes Jan Kuciak, Daphne Caruana Galizia, and Pavel Sheremet, who was also murdered in Ukraine in 2016. We urge the Ukrainian government to act swiftly in investigating Komarov’s murder and holding those accountable to justice.”

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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open 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. pen.org

CONTACT: Suzanne Trimel, PEN America media consultant: [email protected]