Articles by PEN International
China: Writer Yang Hengjun’s letter from jail is a powerful expression of humanity and hope in the face of repression
Detained in China, Yang Hengjun ended his letter with these words: “I have a dream: let peace win, let humanity gain, let love prevail, let freedom ring”.
Vietnam: PEN International joins letter to US Secretary of State urging support for persecuted writers and journalists
Several civil society groups have signed a letter urging the US Secretary of State to support the call for the release of imprisoned journalists and the end of harassment and threats towards journalists and writers in Vietnam.
PEN International documents dramatic increase in book bans
“Authorities worldwide are restricting access to books that address sexual violence, LGBTQ narratives, and issues of race, disproportionately affecting marginalised communities and signalling a dangerous shift towards intolerance.”
Vietnam and China: Grave concern over reports of Tibetan writer’s suspicious death in custody
Human rights advocates said that the suspicious death of Tibetan writer and educator Humkar Dorje Rinpoche could be a case of transnational repression.
Mexico: PEN International denounces threats against journalist Lucero Díaz Estrada and calls for protection
“It is unacceptable that the authorities in the country with the highest rate of deadly violence against the press on the continent, allow digital harassment of journalists.”
China – Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai’s arbitrary detention raised at United Nations
A representative of PEN International delivered a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for the immediate release of media publisher Jimmy Lai, along with all those arbitrarily detained for their peaceful expression.
Joint statement on emerging digital laws in Bangladesh
Civil society groups urged the interim Bangladesh government to reconsider some provisions in the proposed Cyber Protection Ordinance and the Personal Data Protection Ordinance.
Argentina: PEN International condemns attempted censorship of the book “Cometierra”
On 7 November 2024, Victoria Villarruel, vice-president of Argentina, labelled the book Cometierra on her X account as immoral and degrading, sharing excerpts and calling for its removal from schools and libraries.”