PEN International

Articles by PEN International

Link to: Journalist under house arrest following weeks of harassment, detentions and interrogations over Internet writings

Journalist under house arrest following weeks of harassment, detentions and interrogations over Internet writings

(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC is seriously concerned for the safety of the woman writer and journalist Tran Khai Thanh, who has been subject to serious harassment and sustained interrogations about her Internet writings since 2 September 2006. Her case appears to be part of a pattern of organised and widespread police harassment of dissident writers and […]

Link to: WiPC mounts campaign defending writers and journalists imprisoned or facing jail sentences for “defamation” or “insult”

WiPC mounts campaign defending writers and journalists imprisoned or facing jail sentences for “defamation” or “insult”

(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 15 November 2006 WiPC press release: DAY OF THE IMPRISONED WRITER – 15 NOVEMBER 2006 “Criminal defamation laws and laws proscribing ‘insult’ are providing heavy-duty ammunition to governments wishing to deny citizens their right to freedom of expression. Today over a quarter of all PEN’s cases of imprisoned and […]

Link to: Dissident writer arrested, charged with subversion, his home raided, as apparent crackdown continues

Dissident writer arrested, charged with subversion, his home raided, as apparent crackdown continues

(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC is seriously concerned about the detention of dissident writer and member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center (ICPC) Yan Zhengxue, who was arrested on 18 October 2006 and officially charged on 1 November with “subversion”, apparently in connection with his writings and dissident activities. WiPC continues to be alarmed about an apparent […]

Link to: Writer severely injured in shooting, his driver murdered

Writer severely injured in shooting, his driver murdered

(WiPC/IFEX) – International PEN condemns the brutal attack on 25 October 2006 by three masked men on Montenegrin poet and author Jevrem Brkovic outside his home in the capital, Podgorica. The attack left his driver, Srdjan Vojicic, dead from gunshot wounds, and Brkovic, 73, with severe head injuries. The motive for the attack is not […]

Link to: Persecuted Turkish writers oppose proposed law criminalising denial of Armenian genocide

Persecuted Turkish writers oppose proposed law criminalising denial of Armenian genocide

(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC is alarmed by the decision of the French parliament on 12 October 2006 to criminalise statements and writings that deny that there had been an Armenian genocide in Turkey at the turn of the last century. Under the proposed law, which now needs to be approved by the Senate and president, fines […]

Link to: Persecuted Turkish author Orhan Pamuk awarded Nobel Prize

Persecuted Turkish author Orhan Pamuk awarded Nobel Prize

(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 12 October 2006 WiPC press release: International PEN congratulates Orhan Pamuk on being awarded the Nobel Prize – 12 October 2006 International PEN congratulates Orhan Pamuk on being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Jirí Grusa, President of International PEN, said today, “We congratulate Orhan Pamuk as an author […]

Link to: CORRECTION: WiPC seriously concerned over health of imprisoned writer Nguyen Vu Binh

CORRECTION: WiPC seriously concerned over health of imprisoned writer Nguyen Vu Binh

(WiPC/IFEX) ? Please note, it was previously stated that Nguyen is being held at New Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi. WiPC clarifies that he is being held at Ba Sao forced labour camp, in Nam Hà province. As well, in the previous version of this alert, WiPC provided incorrect names for the officials listed in […]

Link to: WiPC seriously concerned over health of imprisoned writer Nguyen Vu Binh

WiPC seriously concerned over health of imprisoned writer Nguyen Vu Binh

(WiPC/IFEX) – The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN is seriously concerned for the health of writer Nguyen Vu Binh, who is said to require urgent medical treatment for an undiagnosed chronic gastrointestinal disease and high blood pressure. Nguyen has served four years of a seven-year prison sentence on espionage charges. He is […]