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
ConvictedKazim Gülecyüz
Journalist, Online CommentatorTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaOn October 23, 2024, published author, journalist, and editor in chief of Yeni Asya newspaper Kazım Güleçyüz was arrested for “terrorist propaganda” due to his Twitter post on the death of Fethullah Gülen. After one hearing and two months in Marmara prison, Güleçyüz was released on December 19, 2024. On…
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AcquittedKazim Öz
Creative artist, DramatistTürkiyeEurope and Central AsiaKazım Öz is a Kurdish screenwriter and director. Öz was summoned to the authorities to give a statement in October 2024 as part of a criminal investigation into one of his films, 2016’s Zer. The film had attracted controversy due to its themes about Kurdish identity and a scene about…
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ReleasedKea Sokun
Creative artist, Singer/SongwriterCambodiaAsia-PacificRapper 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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MurderedKem Ley
Activist, Online Commentator, ScholarCambodiaAsia-PacificKem Ley, a prominent political analyst critical of the Cambodian government, was assassinated on July 10, 2016. Oeuth Ang, a former military police officer, was arrested and convicted for the murder, claiming it was due to a personal dispute over a debt. However, many believe the killing was politically motivated…
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DetainedKerimjan Abdurehim
Literary writer, ScholarChina/Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionAsia-PacificUyghur scholar, poet, and writer Kerimjan Abdurehim has been detained in China since 2016 with little information available about his status. His detention was reported in 2021 by activist Abduweli Ayup who listed Abdurehim among the many jailed Uyghur intellectuals. Abdurehim, formerly a professor at Kashgar Normal University, authored numerous…
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Conditional ReleaseKeyvan Bajan
Journalist, Literary writerIranMiddle East and North AfricaNovelist and 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 after completing a third of…
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Continued HarassmentKeyvan Mohtadi
Activist, Literary writer, TranslatorIranMiddle East and North AfricaMohtadi is a writer, translator, and labor activist. In recent years, his membership in the Iranian Writers’ Association and support of workers’ rights have made him a target. On May 9, 2022, Iranian authorities raided his home, arresting him along with his wife. He was sentenced to six years in…
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Conditional ReleaseKhadija Al-Harbi
Literary writerSaudi ArabiaMiddle East and North AfricaFeminist writer Khadija Al-Harbi was detained, alongside her husband, following a raid on their home on April 4, 2019. Their arrests were part of a larger crackdown on dissidents in April 2019, commonly referred to as the “April Campaign” in Saudi Arabia. She was reportedly in the late stages of…
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Conditional ReleaseKhadija Ismayilova
Journalist, TranslatorAzerbaijanEurope and Central AsiaKhadija Ismayilova has long been targeted for her investigative reporting on government corruption. She was detained in December 2014 and later convicted of retaliatory charges, including tax evasion. In May 2016, she was released on probation for five years. In 2020, the European Court of Human Rights (EtHR) ruled that…
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.