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.
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Hazarika is one of the “Miya” (Bengali-language Muslim) poets charged in July 2019 after the online publication of a poem by Hafiz Ahmed that authorities claimed promoted sectarian enmity in the state of Assam. On July 17, 2019, all ten poets were granted anticipatory bail.
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Reporter Andreyeva was detained on November 15, 2020 for “organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order,” after reporting on a protest in Minsk. On February 18, 2021, she was sentenced to two years in prison, which was later reduced by two and a half months. On July 13,…
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Kay Khine Tun, a member of the Peacock Generation satirical poetry troupe that specializes in the traditional art form of Thangyat, a type of slam poetry, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for mocking the military in a performance that was also streamed online. She was…
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Kazi Neel is one of the “Miya” (Bengali-language Muslim) poets charged in July 2019 after the online publication of a poem by Hafiz Ahmed that authorities claimed promoted sectarian enmity in the state of Assam. On July 17, 2019, all ten poets were granted anticipatory bail.
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Rapper Kea Sokun wrote the popular song “Dey Khmer,” in which his lyrics discuss the politics of Cambodia’s land ownership. On September 4, 2020, he was detained for incitement. On December 22, 2020 he was found guilty and sentenced to one and a half years in prison. On September 3,…
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Kem Ley, a prominent political analyst who was critical of the government, was assassinated on July 10, 2016. Police prevented the commemoration of his death in 2019 and a legitimate investigation is yet to be conducted into his murder.
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Novelist-journalist Bajan was imprisoned on September 27, 2020 and sentenced to three-and-a-half years for his peaceful opposition of state censorship, leadership of the Iranian Writers’ Association, and commemoration of late Iranian writers. On March 9, 2022, Bajan was released conditionally from Evin Prison.
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.