PEN America, in a report on the state of freedom of expression, identified Iran and China as the two worst countries for writers. In this list, Iran has the highest number of imprisoned female writers. The report states that last year, a total of 311 writers were imprisoned worldwide, with China having 90 and Iran 57 imprisoned writers, ranking first and second respectively. According to the report, Iran ranks first as the largest prison for women writers, with 16 out of 42 imprisoned female writers being in Iran. The report also mentions writers at risk of arrest and imprisonment, noting that writers in danger in both China and Iran are in the worst conditions. In China, 137 writers are at risk of arrest, while in Iran, 87 writers are at risk. China, with 90 imprisoned writers and 137 at risk, tops the list, while Iran, in addition to 57 imprisoned writers, has 87 at risk, making it the second largest prison and oppressor of writers in the world after China. A significant portion of the PEN America report references the protests in Iran last year. It states that despite the efforts of the Iranian and Chinese governments to intensify their control over society, both countries witnessed protests in 2022, and people found ways to voice their dissent. Following the recent nationwide protests in Iran, dozens of writers, poets, and translators were imprisoned on security charges. After Iran and China, Belarus, Myanmar, and Vietnam each had 16 imprisoned writers, followed by Turkey with 15 and Egypt with 10 imprisoned writers.
PEN America Report: Iran Has the Highest Number of Imprisoned Female Writers in the World
PEN America reported that Iran has the highest number of imprisoned female writers globally, with 16 out of 42 imprisoned women writers. The report highlights the oppressive conditions for writers in Iran and China, especially following recent protests in Iran that led to the arrest of numerous writers. This underscores the severe restrictions on freedom of expression in these countries.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
PEN America released a report identifying Iran as the country with the highest number of imprisoned female writers. The report highlights the oppressive conditions for writers in Iran, particularly following recent protests.
- Iran has 16 out of 42 imprisoned female writers globally.
- Iran ranks as the second largest oppressor of writers after China, with 57 imprisoned and 87 at risk.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a history of suppressing dissent, particularly following major protests. The government often targets writers and intellectuals to maintain control over public discourse.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%