PEN America champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. The bedrock work of the global PEN network is advocacy and assistance on behalf of individuals persecuted for their use of the written word or other forms of expression. PEN America’s Writers at Risk Database is a searchable catalog of the writers, journalists, academics, public intellectuals and others under threat around the world. The database includes historical cases PEN America has worked on from 1987 onwards; non-active cases are color-coded black. PEN America is grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for support that enabled the establishment of the Writers at Risk Database and to PEN International for their collaboration in assembling this database.
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A long time reporter who has written two books, Valente was sued for defamation after writing a book on the arrest and release of Brazil’s most powerful bankers by the Federal Supreme Court’s Justice Mendes, who was responsible for this decision. He was convicted and ordered to pay the equivalent…
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Ruhi Karadağ is a journalist turned writer/TV producer who was targeted for his book Yarali Yonca. Karadağ was arrested at the airport on March 24, 2021, after being exiled for three years, for alledgedly spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization in the book. On May 6, 2021, he was sentenced…
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Writer of Stop the Cockroach, a popular anti-Lukashenko song, Chliebarodau was arrested in April 2023 and accused of “insulting public officials” and “disgracing the state power and governing bodies.” Complaints against him also include posting commentary on social networks. Pro-government Telegram channels posted a video of what appears to be…
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Journalist and author Kulevich was brutally detained by police at a protest. He was beaten, both of his arms were broken, and he was sentenced to seven days in prison. He was released without explanation and sent to a hospital for five days, during which both he and his family…
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Sharipov was detained in 2001 after publishing a series of articles challenging the government. In 2002, he was beaten three times, and, in 2003, was arrested on suspicion of homosexuality. He pled guilty under coercion but escaped to the United States en route to a work camp.
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Hareesh, a writer, began receiving threats in 2018 after an excerpt from his serialized novel Meesha (Moustache) was taken out of context and condemned widely on social media as offensive to Hindu women and priests. As a result, Hareesh suspended serialization of the book. The book won the JCB prize…
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The folk singer popularly known as Kovan uses his music as a platform for activism. He was arrested in 2018 after performing a song at a protest that mocked a pilgrimage dedicated to the construction of a temple on disputed land, but was released on bail shortly after.
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Writer and coordinator of the Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development, Salloum and others at the Foundation faced death threats throughout 2017-18 from an anonymous Islamist organization. The Foundation was robbed 3 times from 2016-2018.
Writers at Risk Database Key:
STATUS box that is red: Active case
STATUS box that is black: Inactive case
PEN America is deeply grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for its generous support of the Freedom to Write Index and Writers at Risk Database.
PEN America thanks the PEN International Secretariat and the Writers in Prison Committee for their extensive contributions to and collaboration on compiling the cases included in this database.