PEN America and PEN Sydney today joined more than 170 writers and scholars worldwide–including Azar Nafisi, Shahriar Madanipour, Hisham Matar, Orhan Pamuk, Moniroo Ravanipour, Peter Sloterdjik, Bela Tarr, and Jia Zhangke–calling for the release of Ali Asadollahi, a noted poet and member of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA), as well as other unjustly detained writers in Iran.
PEN America is deeply concerned by reports of multiple arbitrary arrests of writers, creative artists, and former political prisoners in Iran in recent weeks including blogger Hossein Ronaghi and poet Atefeh Chaharmahalian in the widespread repression of protesters supporting women’s rights and free expression, following the death of Mahsa (Jhina) Amini on September 16.
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.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed about imprisoned journalists in Iran who are denied medical care when they are ill, and calls for swift action by the UN special rapporteur to ensure that the Iranian authorities respect their obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners.
The victims include Narges Mohammadi and Alieh Motalebzadeh, two women journalists who were arrested at their Tehran homes while on medical furlough from prison on 12 April. They were taken to Tehran’s Evin prison and were then transferred to Qarchak women’s prison. Mohammadi was deprived of her medicine for a week, including the pills she is supposed to take every day since