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
ImprisonedGongan Chen
Online CommentatorChinaAsia-PacificGongan is an online commentator with a history of defending democratic rights. He was detained in September 2022 after posting political messages on WeChat as part of a conversation with other human rights defenders. He was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison on charges of “picking quarrels…
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ReleasedGonpo Tenzin
Singer/SongwriterChina/Tibet Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificTenzin was arrested in 2013 on unknown charges and kept in pretrial detention for over a year without access to legal resources before his trial began. He spent three and a half years in prison in connection with his song ‘Where is the New Year in Tibet.’
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Recorded HarassmentGorki Águila
Creative artist, Singer/SongwriterCubaAmericasA Cuban rock musician and outspoken critic of communism, Águila has been banned from performing in public. He was arrested in 2008 on the charge of “dangerousness” in what was thought to be an effort to silence his criticism, but was released without jail time.
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MurderedGovind Pansare
Literary writerIndiaAsia-PacificPolitician and writer Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 and died four days later. His murder investigation implicated the right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha and was linked to the murders of three others, including Narendra Dabholkar. Twelve suspects have been arrested for the murders. No resolution even after 7 years.
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Recorded HarassmentGrigory Pasko
Journalist, ScholarRussiaEurope and Central AsiaSince 1997, Pasko has faced repeated charges of treason for his reporting. In 2016 while traveling to Barnaul train local journalists, Pasko was met with an aggressive pattern of harassment including surveillance, state monitoring of his training, and physical assault.
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ImprisonedGui Minhai
Literary writer, Poet, PublisherChinaAsia-PacificA Swedish citizen, Gui was one of five Hong Kong booksellers to disappear in 2015 and resurface in Chinese custody. While the others have been released, Gui spent years in detention and on February 25, 2020 was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “providing evidence overseas.” Sweden continues to…
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MurderedGuillermo Fernández García
Poet, TranslatorMexicoAmericasAcclaimed poet and translator Fernández García was bound and killed at his home in Toluca in April 2012. The motive remains unknown. The case was referred to Mexico’s attorney general, but the office has failed to progress investigations and has seemingly shelved the case.
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Under ThreatGuillermo Sheridan
Journalist, Literary writer, ScholarMexicoAmericasIn July 2019, Sheridan, a scholar, columnist, public commentator, and literary critic, received a death threat in a letter delivered to his home. In January 2023, Sheridan was granted federal protection due to repeated violent threats.
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On TrialGulgeç Akdeniz
Literary writer, PoetTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaGulgeç Akdeniz is a literary writer who has published three books in Kurdish. She was arrested on July 25, 2019 during raids across Bitlis province in eastern Türkiye. On December 3, 2020 she was sentenced to six years and three months in prison on charges of “being a member of…
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.