PEN America has published the fifth edition of its Freedom to Write Index, an annual report on the detention and imprisonment of writers globally. The number of writers behind bars reached its highest – at least 339 – in 2023. The top jailers are China, with 107 writers in prison, and Iran, with 49 writers deprived of liberty, detaining more female writers than any other country. Amidst war and freedom of expression crackdown, Israel and Russia made it to the top 10 jailers’ list for the first time. Analyzing changes in trends since 2019, the Index registered an increase in online commentators as a targeted professional designation: bloggers and other writers publishing their work on social media make up the majority of those detained. The report concludes with recommendations to the 10 most expression-restrictive governments, states that commit to upholding freedom of expression, donors, and UN special procedures.
PEN/Barbey Freedom To Write Center. “Freedom to Write Index 2023.” May 1, 2024. https://pen.org/report/freedom-to-write-index-2023/