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.
PEN America Condemns Russia’s Labeling of Bard College an “Undesirable Organization”
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office last week labeled Bard College as an “undesirable” non-governmental organization in Russia, effectively banning the institution of higher education from continuing its operations on… More
Failure to Reappoint UNC Law Professor Comes as Academic Freedom Questions Mount
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has reportedly denied reappointment of UNC law professor Eric Muller to the UNC Press Board of Governors. More
Amid Hong Kong Paper’s Closure, Apple Daily Editorial Writer Arrested
The arrest of an editorial writer at the Apple Daily represents the deepening criminalization of free expression in Hong Kong under the draconian National Security Law. More
Closure of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily Is “Death Knell for Independent Media”
There should be no pretense that this is anything other than a death knell for independent media in Hong Kong. More
Wole Soyinka to Present Award to Henry Louis Gates Jr. at PEN America Gala
PEN America announced today that acclaimed Nigerian writer, poet, and playwright Wole Soyinka will fly in from Nigeria to offer remarks at the organization’s 2021 Literary Gala celebration in… More
Supreme Court Made Right Call in Student Free Speech Case
PEN America responds to landmark student free speech case Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. . More
PEN America Demands Immediate Release of Cuban Rapper and Activist
Exactly one month ago, Cuban authorities arrested and detained rapper and activist Maykel Castillo. More
ADVISORY: Media Under Attack in Belarus: A Panel Conversation
PEN America, alongside Human Rights House Foundation and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania in Geneva, will host a dynamic panel discussion on the state of press… More
Biden Administration Must Prioritize Human Rights and Free Expression in Responding to Iranian Election Outcome
As Iran elects a new president, PEN America urged the Biden Administration to emphasize the country’s dire human rights situation as it responds to the outcome of the vote. More
PEN America Calls Hong Kong Newspaper Raid “An Act of War on Press Freedom”
PEN America decried the news that Hong Kong police had raided the offices of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and arrested five executives. More