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
Ghoja’Abdulla Ablimit Sheyhim
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Status
Continued HarassmentGioconda Belli
Literary writer, PoetNicaraguaAmericasWriter and poet Belli was one of three PEN Nicaragua members to be subjected to harassment through the circulation of an anonymous video which identified them as behind a terrorist conspiracy against the Nicaraguan government. Belli went into exile in February 2022, splitting her time between Spain and the United…
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Recorded HarassmentGlenn Greenwald
Journalist, Literary writerBrazilAmericasGreenwald was threatened via email and social media after the publication of an investigative series about corruption in Brazil’s “Operation Car Wash.” Accused of hacking public officials’ phones, he was charged with cybercrimes in January 2020, which were soon dropped.
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ImprisonedGo Sherab Gyatso
Literary writer, ScholarChina/Tibet Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificAuthor of the book We Need to Wake Up and several articles on restrictions to Tibetans’ freedom of expression, Gyatso was taken into custody on October 26, 2020 by Chinese State Security agents. He has previously been detained four times for his unpublished writing and activism. In a secret hearing…
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Go Sherab Gyatso Gosher
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MurderedGodwin Agbroko
JournalistNigeriaSub-Saharan AfricaAgbroko, editorial board chairman of This Day and longtime news editor was arrested for his work in 1995 and 1996. He was released in 1997 within weeks of receiving PEN’s Freedom to Write Award. In December 2006, he was shot and killed in Lagos by unknown assailants.
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On TrialGökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu
Activist, Journalist, Literary writer, Online CommentatorTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaÇulhaoğlu is a prolific author and lead columnist for the political publication Türk Solu. His writing and tweets served as evidence of terrorism charges, leading to an over 6-year prison sentence in 2018. In 2020, his conviction was overturned, but again re-opened for trial.
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On TrialGökhan Yavuzel
Journalist, Literary writer, Online Commentator, PoetTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaYavuzel is a Kurdish author and commentator. In July 2021, he was attacked after appearing on a hitlist of Turkish dissidents. Since then, authorities issued warrants for Yavuzel’s arrest for “insulting the president” and other charges related to his writing. Living in exile in the UK, he was forced to…
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ImprisonedGolrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
Activist, Literary writerIranMiddle East and North AfricaIraee was first sentenced to six years in prison in 2014 on charges related to an unpublished short story criticizing the practice of stoning. Released in April 2019, she was charged for her advocacy from prison and re-arrested in November. She was released in May 2022 only to be re-arrested…
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.