PEN America Report Finds Jailing of Writers Hit New High in 2024
PEN America's latest Freedom to Write Index, its sixth annual report tracking the detention and imprisonment of writers, found that the number of writers jailed worldwide reached a new high in 2024. Per the report, at least 375 writers were jailed in 40 countries during 2024, up from 339 in 2023.
The report found that China, already the world's top jailer of writers, posted a significant increase of 11 cases, to 118 writers behind bars. And Iran once again had the second highest number of imprisoned writers at 43. Together, China and Iran jailed a combined 43% of the total count. Saudi Arabia landed at #3 on the list with 23 writers jailed.
Vietnam, Israel, Russia, Turkiye, Belarus, Egypt, and Myamar rounded out the top 10. The report noted that war and conflict continued to have a negative impact on writers in 2024, attributing upticks in the number of imprisoned writers in Israel and Russia to crackdowns on dissent.
The report also noted that "recent developments in the United States underscore the precarious nature of freedom of expression," adding that "the suppression of free expression has taken on an especially troubling dimension on college campuses where Palestinian and pro-Palestinian voices are being silenced...it would appear purely on the grounds of speech protected by the U.S. Constitution."
