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
ConvictedFaramarz Sehdehi
Online Commentator, PoetIranMiddle East and North AfricaSehdehi is a poet and a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, who has published hundreds of poems since the 1970s. He was interrogated and censored in the past for his work. In April 2022, he was charged with “propaganda against the regime” for his poetry and social media posts.…
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Continued HarassmentFarhat Khan
Literary writer, ScholarIndiaAsia-PacificDr. Khan wrote a book titled Collective Violence and Criminal Justice System that was first published in 2015. Her publisher received complaints about some parts of the book being controversial, which led to the pages being taken out. In December 2022, a student complained about her for allegedly teaching “anti-Hindu”…
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Conditional ReleaseFariba Adelkhah
Literary writer, ScholarIranMiddle East and North AfricaFrench-Iranian anthropologist Adelkhah was detained in June 2019 while visiting Iran to conduct research. In May 2020, she was sentenced to six years on propaganda and national security charges. She was released in October 2020 into house arrest, but was reimprisoned in 2022 for allegedly violating the rules of her…
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ReleasedFarshid Ghorbanpour
Journalist, Literary writer, Online Commentator, TranslatorIranMiddle East and North AfricaA columnist, literary writer, and online commentator, Ghorbanpour was arrested at his home on September 25, 2022. Security forces pepper sprayed him and beaten him before taking him into custody without a warrant. He was released on December 7, 2022.
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Conditional ReleaseFatemeh Hasani
Online Commentator, ScholarIranMiddle East and North AfricaHasani is a sociologist who wrote multiple academic articles and non-academic publications. She was arrested at Mashhad airport upon returning from a trip on July 6, 2023. Hasani, who has been a vocal critic of government policies on the social network Clubhouse, was released four days later with a criminal…
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ConvictedFatima Naoot
Journalist, Literary writer, Poet, TranslatorEgyptMiddle East and North AfricaLong famous for her politically-charged poetry, Naoot was sentenced to three years in prison in 2016 for defaming Islam in a Facebook post critical of the Eid al-Adha tradition of slaughtering animals. Her sentence was later suspended in November 2016.
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DisappearedFayez Bin Damakh
Journalist, PoetSaudi ArabiaMiddle East and North AfricaIn September 2017, poet and reporter Bin Damakh was reported missing days before he was due to launch a TV news channel in Kuwait. Local press reports suggest he was abducted and taken to Saudi Arabia, but this has not been confirmed.
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ConvictedFazel Torkaman
Literary writer, PoetIranMiddle East and North AfricaTorkaman is an author and poet of 10 published works including “The Girl Who Wiped My Tears.” He was summoned to court and then arrested before being immediately released on a 500 million toman bail. He was later charged with “propaganda against the regime” and sentenced to 1 year in…
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ReleasedFazil Say
Creative artist, Literary writerTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaOn May 25, 2012, renowned composer, pianist, and writer Fazil Say was charged with religious defamation in connection with a series of social media posts. In 2013, he received a 10-month prison sentence suspended for five years, but was acquitted on appeal in 2016. In October 2024, his concerts 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.