PEN International

History

PEN International was founded in London in 1921, simply as PEN.

Geographic scope / network

PEN International operates across five continents in over 100 countries, with over 140 PEN Centres.

Key actions and/or campaigns

PEN International undertakes the following key actions and campaigns, among others:

·       Supporting writers at risk: PEN International works to protect, shelter and resettle writers at risk, campaigns, researches, advices and advocates internationally, and provides small emergency grants, supports asylum requests, assists with temporary relocation and access to legal help.

·       Campaigns: PEN International raises awareness of cases of writers who are detained, harassed, persecuted or even killed for the practice of their profession.

·       Policy and advocacy: PEN International promotes freedom of expression and defends writers at risk.

·       Research: PEN International investigates and reports on violations of the right to freedom of expression around the world, to inform their campaigns and advocacy work.

·       PEN Emergency Fund: The Fund provides writers and families with an allowance for a range of urgent needs such as safe passage, medical assistance and general support towards living expenses.

Key outputs

PEN International’s annual Case List provides a global overview of attacks, imprisonment, and persecution of writers and those who use the written word to express themselves, including an overview of key events that have impacted on freedom of expression by regions, and a summary of cases of concern to PEN International.

For more information, please see: https://www.pen-international.org/case-lists

Congress resolutions are passed by the PEN International Assembly of Delegates at its annual Congress in order to alert the PEN membership and public to serious violations of freedom of expression or other threats to rights defined within the PEN Charter.

For more information, please see: https://www.pen-international.org/congress-resolutions

Each year on 15 November, the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, PEN International is calling for urgent international action to protect writers and journalists worldwide who are increasingly targeted by state and non-state actors simply for carrying out their work.

Methodology of key outputs

PEN International gathers its information from a wide variety of sources and seeks to confirm its information through at least two independent sources. Where its information is unconfirmed, it will either take no action, or word its outputs to reflect the fact that the information is as yet incomplete. Sources include press reports, reports from individuals in the region in question, reports from other human rights groups, PEN members themselves, embassy officials, academics, prisoners’ families, lawyers and friends, and exile groups. It also partners with other international NGOs, such as ARTICLE 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, and Reporters without Borders. It is a founder member of IFEX – the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a collaborative, online service in which national, regional and international organisations involved in the campaign for free expression pool information and amplify each other’s voices.

Key Priorities for next 2 years

The mounting threat to freedom of expression has escalated to unprecedented levels in recent years on online platforms and in offline spheres, through law, policy, and practice. As part of this, the deliberate targeting of journalists and writers has not just continued but radically accelerated. PEN International’s key priorities and thematic focus for the next two years include hate speech, restrictions on expression through overly broad legislation, digital rights, linguistic rights, mainstreaming gender and diversity and cultural rights.

Monitoring of threats to journalism safety

Yes

Types of threats monitored

Executed

Killed

Killed - Impunity

Killed - trial in progress

Death in custody

Attacked

Imprisoned

Detained

Sentenced

Reported missing

On trial

Harassed

Judicial Harassment

Death threat

Threatened

Forced exile

Released

Methodology of monitoring

PEN International gathers its information from a wide variety of sources and seeks to confirm its information through at least two independent sources. Where its information is unconfirmed, it will either take no action, or word its outputs to reflect the fact that the information is as yet incomplete. Sources include press reports, reports from individuals in the region in question, reports from other human rights groups, PEN members themselves, embassy officials, academics, prisoners’ families, lawyers and friends, and exile groups. It also partners with other international NGOs, such as ARTICLE 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, Index on Censorship, and Reporters without Borders. It is a founder member of IFEX – the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a collaborative, online service in which national, regional and international organisations involved in the campaign for free expression pool information and amplify each other’s voices.