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].
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Arrest of Another Journalist in Egypt Casts Further Doubt Over Country’s Commitment to Free Expression
"The arrest of Karim Asaad and ongoing detention of Hisham Kassem once again spotlight Egypt’s dire record on freedom of expression and cast serious doubts on the government’s broader… More
PEN America: Calls to Remove a Book from Princeton U Syllabus Are “Highly Misguided”
If we scrubbed college campuses of any book that could cause any offense, we would be left with a fairly barren environment for academic inquiry. More
PEN America: Removing Block Button on Twitter/X Puts Another Nail in the Coffin of the Platform
“Elon Musk seems determined to make X (formerly known as Twitter) the least safe and least equitable social media platform on the internet. Before Musk acquired the platform, PEN America worked closely for years with Twitter's human… More
Prison Sentence Against Iranian Filmmaker Saeed Roustayi Effort to “Asphyxiate” Vibrant Ideas and Silence Creative Voices
“The Iranian regime strategically wields the term 'propaganda' as a potent tool, skillfully harnessing it to asphyxiate the vibrant exchange of ideas within society. This calculated manipulation transforms the… More
Following Russian Journalist Elena Kostyuchenko’s Account of Being Poisoned in Germany, PEN America Raises Concern About Transnational Attacks
“The apparent poisoning of journalist Elena Kostyuchenko is a threat against anyone writing and speaking truthfully—from anywhere—about the Russian government,” said Polina Sadovskaya, PEN America’s Eurasia and advocacy director.… More
Police Withdraw Search Warrant for Kansas Newspaper After “Unconscionable” Breach of Press Freedom
“The withdrawal of a search warrant against The Marion County Record and the return of seized devices after a raid by law enforcement is a first step toward accountability… More
PEN America: Withdrawal by Arkansas of AP African-American Studies Course is “Reckless and Ideologically-Motivated”
PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program director Jeremy C. Young said: “In its zeal to copy Florida’s destructive policies, Arkansas has demonstrated that attacks on intellectual freedom in schools… More
PEN America: Using Artificial Intelligence to Ban Books Only Makes the Problem Worse
“There’s no good method for banning books, but the Mason City School District's decision to use AI technology to review and remove books is deeply misguided, undercuts free expression,… More
PEN America: Postponement of Mesa Az. Art Exhibit Due to City’s Objection Over Shepherd Fairey Work Sets Up a “Chilling Precedent”
The postponement of an exhibition in Mesa, AZ at the direction of city officials who objected to a piece by Shepherd Fairey sets up a “chilling precedent." More
PEN America: Police Raid on Kansas Newspaper “Almost Certainly” Violates Federal Law
"Journalists rely on confidential sources to report on matters of vital public concern. Law enforcement's sweeping raid on The Marion County Record and confiscation of its equipment almost certainly… More