Anniversary of Mahsa: American PEN Association Calls for Human Rights Experts to Examine the Suppression of Writers and Artists in Iran

On Friday, September 15, the American PEN Association issued a statement urging the UN fact-finding mission experts to closely investigate the suppression of writers and artists by the Islamic Republic. The statement referenced the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody, noting, "One year ago, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, 22, was arrested for allegedly having an improper hijab and subsequently died in custody. In protest against this crime, thousands in Iran joined demonstrations against human rights restrictions, during which many protesters and critics, including numerous artists and writers, were arrested and imprisoned." The association further named individuals such as Narges Mohammadi, Golrokh Iraee, Keyvan Mohtadi, Tomaj Salehi, Atena Farghadani, and Mehdi Yarahai, stating, "These individuals and many other writers, artists, and dissenting voices have faced government attacks over the past year due to their prominence as narrators of protest, and writers who were already in prison have encountered even greater hardships." The American PEN Association reported that at least 57 writers and media professionals have been detained in Iran over the past year, including 16 women writers. The association called on the UN fact-finding mission regarding Iran, which is currently gathering information on human rights violations since the protests began in 2022, to investigate the suppression of writers and artists as a serious threat to free expression and human rights in Iran. Reporters Without Borders also announced on Friday that the Iranian government has arrested 79 journalists, including 31 women journalists, during the "widespread suppression" of protests over the past year. In a report published ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death, this international organization labeled Iran as one of the largest prisons for women journalists and described the arrests of journalists covering the protests as "arbitrary," with the charges against them deemed "baseless." According to this report, 12 of the detained journalists, including 5 women journalists, remain in prison, while released journalists face restrictions. Reporters Without Borders stated that the reason for the detention of these 79 journalists remains "unknown," with the main charge against them being "propaganda against the regime," and in some cases, additional charges such as "participation in illegal gatherings," "conspiracy against national security," and even "collaboration with hostile governments" have been leveled against them.