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Writers at Risk Advocacy

Writers at Risk Advocacy

The PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center at PEN America advocates for writers jailed and persecuted for their free expression around the world.

A collage with a fountain pen writing on paper, red and black blocks, and three signs reading: Writing is not a crime!, When you jail a poet, your weakness is showing!, and Poetry opens our hearts to the world.

Writers face grave risks for documenting the past, reflecting on the present, imagining different futures, and speaking up to hold power to account. When governments target writers, writers are not the only ones at risk – freedom for all is at stake.

The annual Freedom to Write Index, a count of writers jailed worldwide during each calendar year, examines thematic and country-specific threats to writers and their freedom of expression. The Writers at Risk Database tracks a range of threats against individual writers, cultural figures, and journalists, such as legal charges without detention or physical attacks, in addition to detention and imprisonment. Learn more about the methodology used for our Index and Database here. The PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center was established in 2022 by a donation from the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust.

What you need to know:

The latest Freedom to Write Index found that the number of writers jailed reached a new high, with at least 401 jailed across 44 countries during 2025.

The Writers at Risk Database catalogs cases of more than 1,000 writers who face various threats: legal harassment, exile, and physical attacks in addition to prison.

Attacks on culture – from the destruction of libraries in Gaza and Ukraine to the deletion of the Mongolian-language internet – weaken our ability to share ideas freely.

Writers Jailed Globally in 2025

Blogs and Interviews

  • A large crowd gathers outdoors at night, many people holding up smartphones with flashlights on, creating a sea of lights. Some are waving flags, and trees are visible in the background.

    Georgia: Alarming Human Rights Crisis Highlighted by Writers’ Groups

    Thursday July 24
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  • A serious-looking man stands against a blurred background with handwritten Arabic text. Overlay text reads: Poetry in Chains. A Conversation with Egyptian Poets and Writers in Honor of Galal El-Behairy’s 35th Birthday. PEN America logo present.

    Poetry in Chains: Writers Gather in Solidarity With Detained Poet Galal El-Behairy

    Wednesday July 16
    Veronica Tien
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  • A black-and-white photo of a man with short hair and a beard is on the left. On the right, there is handwritten Arabic text filling most of the image. The man wears a light-colored shirt and looks directly at the camera.

    ‘He Paid The Price for Opposition With The Best Years of His Life’: An Egyptian Poet Held in Indefinite Detention

    Thursday June 26
    Asma Laouira
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Latest Updates

  • A person with curly black hair and light skin, wearing a dark red velvet top, looks directly at the camera against a plain dark background—a portrait reminiscent of Narges Mohammadi’s striking presence.

    Iranian Authorities Must Immediately Release Narges Mohammadi

    Friday December 19
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  • A person with curly black hair and light skin, wearing a dark red velvet top, looks directly at the camera against a plain dark background—a portrait reminiscent of Narges Mohammadi’s striking presence.

    Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Arrested in Iran, a Year After Temporary Liberation

    Friday December 12
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  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a striped jacket over a floral top, sits indoors and smiles at the camera with her hand resting on a wooden surface. Photo credit: Thinh Nguyen. The scene captures Pham Doan Trang in a moment of warmth and ease.

    Coalition Calls for Release of Vietnamese Writer-Activist Pham Doan Trang

    Friday December 12
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Freedom to Write Index 2025

The number of countries jailing writers reached an all-time high in 2025.

View the full index View all our focus regions

#FreeNarges: Freedom to Write Award Winner 2023

A person with curly black hair and light skin, wearing a dark red velvet top, looks directly at the camera against a plain dark background—a portrait reminiscent of Narges Mohammadi’s striking presence.

Learn more about Narges Mohammadi’s case, add your name to a petition for her release, and send her a message of support. The Free Narges Coalition Steering Committee is led by the Narges Foundation, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Front Line Defenders. Together, the coalition urges the global community to hold the Islamic Republic government accountable for its abuses. 

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