With anti-government protests erupting across Iran and writers and dissident voices being detained, PEN America today called for the release of Iranian writer Reza Khandan Mahabadi on the second anniversary of his wrongful imprisonment. PEN America also urged the unconditional release of every writer and artist either imprisoned long-term or detained recently. Mahabadi, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association and winner of the 2021 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write award, was sent to prison exactly two years ago, along with the poet and filmmaker Baktash Abtin, who died this past January from medical neglect after falling ill with Covid 19, and Keyvan Bajan, who was released on parole in March 2022.