Writers at Risk Database
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
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Status
DetainedBergün Varan
Creative artist, Singer/SongwriterTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaVaran, a member of the activist collective and band Grup Yorum, has faced repeated arrests due to the band’s critical songs, which have angered the Turkish government. She has been detained multiple times during raids on the band’s cultural center and released conditionally, often after months in custody. Most recently,…
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Custodial/Wrongful DeathBerhane Abrehe
Literary writerEritreaSub-Saharan AfricaAbrehe, a former Eritrean finance minister, was arrested in September 2018 after publishing a book critical of President Isaias Afwerki. He was held in solitary confinement at Carshelli prison in Asmara without formal charges or trial. Abrehe’s continued detention called into question Eritrea’s commitment to reform following a historic peace…
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ReleasedBernardo Arévalo Padrón
Activist, JournalistCubaAmericasArévalo was arrested in 1997 and sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Fidel Castro. He was released in 2003 and arrested again in 2014 and briefly detained for his reporting work for an opposition newspaper.
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Conditional ReleaseBigeldy Gabdullin
Journalist, Literary writer, TranslatorKazakhstanEurope and Central AsiaOn November 15, 2016, one day after expressing his support for Seytkazy Matayez, and on the heels of his publishing reports critical of government officials’ business dealings, president of the Kazakh PEN Club Bigeldy Gabdullin was detained on charges of extortion. On January 24, 2017, Gabdullin pled guilty and was…
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ReleasedBilal Al-Saadi
Creative artistIsrael/Occupied Palestinian TerritoryMiddle East and North AfricaThe founder and chairperson of the Freedom Theater in Jenin, Al-Saadi has been a prominent figure in Palestinian cultural and artistic movements. On September 11, 2022, he was arrested by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at a military checkpoint. Shortly after his arrest, he was sentenced to six months of…
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ImprisonedBo Bo Htoo
Activist, Literary writer, Online Commentator, PoetMyanmarAsia-PacificBo Bo Htoo, a poet and literary writer from Pyin Ma Nar, was arrested by Myanmar’s military authorities on November 15, 2021 at his home. Initially, he was sent to an interrogation camp before being sentenced to two years in prison on July 10, 2022. Despite reports suggesting that he…
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Displaced/In ExileBoris Akunin
Literary writer, Online CommentatorRussiaEurope and Central AsiaBoris Akunin is a renowned translator and writer of historical fiction who has been living abroad since 2014. In December 2023, he was added to Russia’s list of extremists due to his public statements about the war. The publishing house with the rights to his works was raided and his…
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Displaced/In ExileBoris Bulgakov
PoetRussiaEurope and Central AsiaIn September 2022, a group of poets took part in the Mayakovsky Readings in Moscow, an event known for its literary and cultural significance. Bulgakov, a well-known poet, was arrested outside his home by plainclothes police officers. He was charged with participating in unauthorized activities and sentenced to 10 days…
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ImprisonedBoris Kagarlitsky
Online Commentator, ScholarRussiaEurope and Central AsiaKagarlitsky, a Marxist sociologist who posts opinion and commentary online, is vocally opposed to the Russian war in Ukraine. He was designated as a foreign agent in May 2022, and then arrested in November 2023 for “justifying terrorism” and placed in pre-trial detention. He was sentenced to 5 years in…
Writers at Risk Database Key:
STATUS box that is red: Active case
STATUS box that is black: Inactive case
Funder
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.
Partner
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.