PEN America announced in its latest annual report on the state of freedom of expression worldwide that the number of imprisoned writers in 2025 has surpassed 400 for the first time since the index began publication in 2019.
The report also highlights a significant increase in the arrest of writers and cultural activists in Iran.
The report, published on Tuesday, May 12, states that in 2025 a total of 401 writers were imprisoned in 44 countries, compared to 375 writers in 40 countries the previous year.
PEN America emphasized in its Freedom to Write Index that over the past seven years, the number of imprisoned writers worldwide has increased by 68%, reflecting the continued intensification of repression against freedom of expression and the silencing of critical voices in various countries.
Increasing Pressure on Female Political Prisoners in Iran’s Evin Prison
According to the report, China remains the world’s largest jailer of writers with 119 cases, ranking first on the list. Iran ranks second with 53 imprisoned writers, and according to PEN America, the sharpest increase in arrests over the past year occurred in Iran.
The organization says officials of the Iranian regime carried out at least 17 new arrests in 2025, bringing the number of imprisoned writers close once again to the levels seen during the nationwide protests of 2022.
Karin Deutsch Karlekar, director of PEN America’s Writers at Risk program, said Iranian regime authorities have launched an especially brutal campaign against independent voices compared to other countries around the world.
She added that poets, translators, researchers, songwriters, online commentators, human rights defenders, and columnists have all been targeted for arrest and repression because Iran’s regime is attempting to silence debate and dissent.
The report states that the latest wave of repression in Iran intensified following the 12-day war between Iran’s regime and Israel in June 2025, targeting not only well-known critics but also groups of researchers and translators.
PEN America also referred to the re-arrest of Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Sepideh Gholian, who according to the organization were violently arrested during a memorial ceremony in November of last year.
Another section of the report notes that Iran was one of three countries simultaneously engaged in war while also ranking among the top 10 jailers of writers.
PEN America says that in all three countries, writers who expressed anti-war views in their works, writings, or public statements were targeted with arrests and prosecution.
Karin Deutsch Karlekar concluded the report by warning that attacks on writers are not limited to one individual or one country but rather represent a broader threat against freedom of thought, creativity, and the right to dissent worldwide.
