Imprisoned Writers

Announcement

Co-hosted by the Senate Human Rights Caucus

To mark the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and the Senate Human Rights Caucus for a hybrid briefing on imprisoned writers.

The Day of the Imprisoned Writer, commemorated each year on November 15, honors all writers who stand up against repression and defend freedom of expression and the right to information. During 2021, according to data collected for PEN America’s Freedom to Write Index, at least 277 writers, academics, and public intellectuals in 36 countries, in all geographic regions around the world, were unjustly held in detention or imprisoned in connection with their writing, their work, or related advocacy. In Free to Think 2021, Scholars at Risk analyzes 332 attacks on higher education communities in 65 countries and territories around the world between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, including 101 cases of imprisonment. The Committee to Protect Journalists identified 294 journalists imprisoned as of December 1, 2021.

Three writers who have experienced various forms of government retaliation for their work will discuss the plight of imprisoned writers around the world and offer recommendations for how to support their threatened colleagues.

The briefing will be hybrid. Members of Congress and panelists may participate in person or, pursuant to H. Res. 965, remotely via Cisco WebEx. The public and the media may attend in person or view the briefing by live webcast on the Commission website. Staff, members of the public and the press may submit questions for the panelists through this form. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi (for Co-Chair Smith).  

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