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.
Filters
Status
Status
Tsekar, who had written many songs on Tibetan themes, was arrested in November 2013 after attending a protest against mining in a sacred site. His charges were politically motivated and intended to silence his creative expression. In December 2013, Tsekar was sentenced to nine years in prison for “impacting state…
Status
A Radio Free Asia reporter and blogger known for his critical exposé on Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, Nhat was abducted and detained by Vietnamese agents in Thailand in January 2019. In March 2020, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trumped-up fraud charges. A Hanoi court of appeals…
Status
An award-winning Tibetan writer, Woeser was placed under house arrest in 2008 and again in 2014 for her activism for Tibetan rights. Her books are currently banned in China and all her communications are monitored.
Status
Conrad, a photojournalist, was beaten and arrested at gunpoint in 2016 while filming a rally at which police killed four protesters. For disseminating the footage, Conrad was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges including spreading fake news and terrorism in 2018. In August 2021, two of his convictions…
Status
Noted author Dangarembga was arrested for taking part in anti-corruption protests in July 2020 and was released on bail the next day. She appeared at least 25 times in court on spurious charges of “incitement to commit violence” and “breaching COVID-19 regulations.” In September 2022, she was convicted of the…
Status
Tu Tu Tha is a novelist and journalist who was arrested on April 24, 2021 in a home raid by over 10 military soldiers. She was charged with “incitement” and was detained at Insein Prison. She spent her 50th birthday in custody, in a cell shared with 60 other women…
Status
Tayyar is a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum. Since the band’s inception, members have faced serious threats for its songs critical of the government. Tayyar was arrested in November 2019 during a police raid on the band’s cultural center and released after five months. Later in 2020,…
Status
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.