Press Releases
PEN America experts are available for interviews with the press. Please direct inquiries to Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media, at [email protected].
At a time of unprecedented attacks against the free press, PEN America Members are taking action. Join us today.
Chinese Authorities Razing Ai Weiwei’s Studio Part of Larger Attack on Artistic Expression
“Regardless of the government’s motives, the unannounced demolition of an artist’s studio is a demonstration of a lack of appreciation or even acknowledgment for the role of the artist… More
Murder of Three Journalists in the Central African Republic Must be Investigated
"The murder of these courageous Russian journalists—Alexander Rastorguev, Orhan Djemal, and Kirill Radchenko—is a terrible tragedy. Although the details of their murder remain unclear, the fact that they were… More
The Arrest of Shahidul Alam, Bangladeshi Writer, Photographer, Activist, An Intolerable Affront to Free Expression
This week's events evince a disturbing escalation in the administration's already indefensible campaign to discredit independent media and to erode our most fundamental democratic norms around freedom of the… More
Trump Administration’s Escalating Media Attacks Erode Democratic Norms Around Freedom of Press
This week's events evince a disturbing escalation in the administration's already indefensible campaign to discredit independent media and to erode our most fundamental democratic norms around freedom of the… More
Dismissal of Charges Against Malaysian Political Cartoonist an Encouraging Victory
"It remains to be seen whether it is a one-off event, or an ongoing commitment of a government newly dedicated to the free press. The Sedition Act and other laws used to suppress… More
Google’s Development of Censored Search Engine for China a Capitulation to Free Speech Restrictions
"Google needs to understand the significance of their choice. If they move forward with this censored search engine, they will become an active partner in the largest system of online… More
PEN America Joins Push to Impose Sanctions on Human Rights Violators
“With the Global Magnitsky Act, championed in Congress by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), the US government has been provided a powerful tool to deter the… More
Three-Year Prison Sentence for Poet Galal El-Behairy is Another Blow for Freedom of Expression in Egypt
“To criminalize poetry and songs is to denigrate the most universal forms of human expression,” said Julie Trébault, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) Director. More
Sentencing of Palestinian Poet Dareen Tatour to Five Months in Prison Unjustly Criminalizes Free Expression
“It is clear that the government has used her case to demonstrate that it will not tolerate certain voices or opinions, which suggests an uneven application of the right… More
Sentencing of Chinese Political Cartoonist Jiang Yefei and Activist Dong Guangping is the Unjust Result of an Unjust Process
"Jiang should never have been charged with a crime, he should never have been repatriated against his will, he should never have spent a day in custody, and he… More