Absent from China’s new reading campaign for books are the things that would make it a truly valuable exercise: open publishing, diverse formats, intellectual risk

📣 Today, on World Book Day, we launch Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence. This year’s Case List highlights 140 persecuted writers worldwide—a stark reminder that freedom of expression is under attack, and solidarity matters more than ever. www.pen-international.org/case-list-2026

Thank you to everyone who joined today’s launch of Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence – PEN International Case List 2026, and to our four contributors. We heard powerful reflections on solidarity as a lifeline and the many forms it can take across different crises.

📣 Join us on Thursday, 23 April at 13:00 BST for Voices Freed: International Solidarity in a Time of Global Disorder, an online discussion marking the launch of the 2026 Case List. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-fre...

⏳ Two weeks left for States to submit their candidacies for the NGO Committee. Regional groups can still ensure competitive elections. #ECOSOC #OpenTheDoors2NGOs Find out more: https://ishr.ch/campaigns/ngo-committee-elections/

✊ PEN Sydney is one of three PEN centres in Australia, and we need your support. 👉 Visit our website to sign up, follow us on social media, and tell your friends and family about our work, publications, and events. 🌏 pen.org.au/join-us/ #australia #sydney #freespeech #auspol

#Philippines: The last remaining charge against writer and Nobel laureate #MariaRessa may soon be dismissed. PEN International welcomes the recommendation that the Supreme Court acquit her in the cyber libel case. www.pen-international.org/news/philipp...

#Iran: PEN International condemns all breaches of international law amid escalating hostilities across the Middle East and is gravely concerned by mounting civilian casualties in Iran and across the region. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-pe...

#China: Writer and PEN member Zan Aizong has been sentenced to three years in prison after taking part in a peaceful memorial for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. PEN International calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/china-p...

On #WorldNGODay, we celebrate NGOs advancing human rights and accountability. Their voices must be heard at the UN. We’ve signed a joint NGO letter urging ECOSOC Member States to back candidates who protect civil society access. www.pen-international.org/news/interna... #OpenTheDoors2NGOs

This week one Russian newspaper referred to “the machine of persecution & punishment” in Russia. “Everything that a few months ago was not just legal, but natural, is being criminalised.” Plus: “the bomb that destroyed the Stalin myth.” #ReadingRussia

#UK: We join @indexoncensorship.org and others in urging the UK government to ensure the BBC World Service has the funding it needs to continue its vital work across the globe. Read our joint letter 🔽 www.pen-international.org/news/open-le...

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has dropped a criminal defamation case against Australian writer Murray Hunter in Thailand. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

We’ve opened applications for two short residencies for writers in the UK who are currently experiencing displacement. Find out more and apply ⤵️ www.englishpen.org/posts/not-ra...

Malaysia-Thailand: Criminal defamation charges against writer #MurrayHunter have been withdrawn in Thailand following a settlement with Malaysia’s MCMC. His passport has been returned and his Substack restored. ‘I have the freedom to write again'. www.pen-international.org/news/malaysi...

🔴Update: The Chengdu City Public Security Bureau released #LiuHu and #WuYingjiao on bail today, according to a notice issued by the bureau’s Jinjiang District branch, which stated that the investigation is ongoing.

Hong Kong’s once-vibrant press stays silent or celebrates Jimmy Lai’s 20-year jail sentence

China – Hong Kong: A 20-year sentence for #JimmyLai is a chilling act of repression. At 78, after years in solitary confinement and with failing health, this punishment is cruel and unjust. PEN International calls for his immediate release. www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

Jimmy Lai: Response from his children, Sebastien & Claire, & from the international legal team to this predictable but nonetheless disgraceful sentence. Press queries: see contact details here & please direct queries through them. Thank you.

“It has been one year since anyone saw Hada, a Mongolian writer, bookseller, and activist who was disappeared from his hospital bed on February 6, 2025,” writes Erika Nguyen. He is one of many writers who have suffered under the constant repression by the Chinese state. More: pen.org/mongolian-wr...

#Myanmar: For 5 years, the military has attempted to silence a nation through terror, censorship, and brutality, yet it has failed to extinguish the voices of those resisting its rule. This anniversary must serve as a moment of renewed international resolve. www.pen-international.org/news/myanmar...

#Argentina: PEN International raises alarm over escalating attacks on freedom of expression, including legal harassment of journalists and the misuse of state power to silence dissent. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/argenti...

"Even though a settlement has now been reached, the case illustrates how legal systems can be weaponised to intimidate journalists beyond national borders," — Michael Altman Rosen-Lupu, Head of Asia-Pacific at PEN International Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️ www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

🚨 #Malaysia #Thailand: We welcome the recent settlement for Australian writer Murray Hunter, but his case remains a stark example of a transnational SLAPP involving civil defamation in Malaysia and criminal defamation in Thailand. Read more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/malaysi...

#Iran: We are deeply concerned by the deadly crackdown on protests amid internet blackouts and unlawful force. We call for an end to these violations and for the rights to peaceful assembly and free expression to be respected. Read our full statement ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/iran-au...

#Philippines: We welcome the acquittal of writer and activist Amanda Echanis after five years of unjust detention. Her persecution reflects the dangers of red-tagging and politically motivated charges. Our statement: www.pen-international.org/news/philipp...

The U.S. withdrawal from international cultural bodies is dangerous. At a time of rising censorship, these organisations defend freedom of expression. Abdicating commitments undermines global norms and aids those who silence critical voices. news.artnet.com/art-world/us...

For 2025 there were some 178,725 asylum seekers from China, per the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees (@Refugees). Chart: Safeguard Defenders.

In this recent interview with Global Voices (@globalvoices.org), Ege Dündar (@ege-dundar.bsky.social) reflects on the work of the Young Writers Committee (@youngwriterspen.bsky.social) and the increasing importance of supporting emerging voices. Read more ⬇️ globalvoices.org/2025/12/26/t...

Together with @peninternational.bsky.social, we condemn the guilty verdict against Jimmy Lai & urge the UK government to act immediately and decisively on his behalf. Read our statement & send a message of solidarity to Jimmy Lai through #PENWrites. #FreeJimmyLai www.englishpen.org/posts/campai...

#HongKong: Yesterday, we have joined @englishpen.bsky.social, @hongkongwatch.bsky.social & over 30 other civil society organisations in an open letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him press for Jimmy Lai's release. Read the letter below ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

We condemn the conviction of Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai. He now faces possible life in prison. The international community, including the US, must stand up for independent media and continue pressing for Lai’s release. #FreeJimmyLai bsky.app/profile/peni...

#HongKong: Together with @englishpen.bsky.social, we condemn the conviction of writer and media publisher #JimmyLai. We continue to stand with him and urge the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

#HongKong: With Jimmy Lai's national security trial verdict now expected on Monday, we again urge the authorities to end this injustice by dropping all charges against him and to release him immediately. Read our latest statement 🔽 www.pen-international.org/news/china-h...

#Vietnam: Ahead of the 4th anniversary of writer Pham Doan Trang's unjust sentencing, we join @rsf.org @amnesty.org @penamerica.bsky.social @pressfreedom.bsky.social & others in calling on the international community to secure her release #FreePhamDoanTrang www.pen-international.org/news/vietnam...

On #HumanRightsDay, PEN International launches its first global #LiteraryAuction — featuring rare contributions from leading writers, with all proceeds supporting freedom of expression worldwide. Explore the auction: www.pen-international.org/news/literar...

#India: We welcome the imminent release of academic Hany Babu following the approval of his bail application. Detained without trial for over 5 years, this ruling recognises the grave injustice he has faced. Learn more ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/india-a...

DHS decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Burmese nationals in the US is “the worst of the worst foreign policy ever seen from the Trump administration in Southeast Asia”, & will mean that deported Myanmar nationals face “prisons, brutal torture and death.” www.irrawaddy.com/news/myanmar...

#Australia #Thailand #Malaysia: We join PEN Centres in condemning Malaysia’s attempt to silence writer Murray Hunter through transnational criminal defamation, and urge Foreign Minister Penny Wong to intervene. Read our joint letter ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/austral...

WRITE A MESSAGE OF HOPE: Today, show solidarity with Uyghur writer #YalqunRozi, imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2016 for his cultural and literary work. Write to him, every message helps writers know they’re not forgotten. www.pen-international.org/yalqun-rozi-... #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

#India: We join partner PEN Centres and free-press groups urging the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner to urgently probe death threats against journalist Rana Ayyub and her father. Read our joint letter ⬇️ www.pen-international.org/news/pen-int...

TAKE ACTION: His words kept Uyghur culture alive — now he’s silenced for them. Stand with #YalqunRozi this #DayoftheImprisonedWriter. Sign our petition to set him free:

To mark the #DayoftheImprisonedWriter, journalist Cheng Lei shared her own story of unjust imprisonment, reflecting on the courage of advocates who helped secure her release. Watch her full testimony on our Instagram and take action today to support imprisoned writers 👉

#Thailand: We join PEN #Malaysia in expressing our alarm over the Malaysian government's targeting of Murray Hunter in an act of transnational repression. We call for the complaints against him to be withdrawn immediately. Read our joint statement 🔽 www.pen-international.org/news/malaysi...

Last week, we partnered with the Independent Chinese PEN Centre for a conference on the brutal realities of Chinese imprisonment and the impact of global conflict on free expression. During its award ceremony, the ICPC also honoured the courage of Zhang Haitao, Ding Jiaxi, and Gao Yu.

SIGN OUR PETITION: www.pen-international.org/yalqun-rozi-... Uyghur writer #YalqunRozi has spent 9 years behind bars in China for expressing his cultural identity. Sentenced to 15 years, his only “crime” was helping preserve the Uyghur language. You can set him free. #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

Our #DayoftheImprisonedWriter campaign starts today! Stand with writers behind bars: Rory Branker, Yalqun Rozi, Mohamed Tadjadit & Mzia Amaglobeli. You can write to authorities, sign petitions, or send messages of support — every action helps! www.pen-international.org/our-campaign...

Happening now: Our first panel for the Independent Chinese PEN Centre Award Ceremony, featuring a timely and important discussion with Luo Shengchun, Enver Tothi Bughda, and Ben Rogers on imprisonment and the increasingly severe reality of surveillance in China. #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

“We should all worry deeply about a world in which authoritarian governments use threats against people at home to silence critics of human-rights abuses abroad,” writes Laura Murphy in a guest essay