The 2023 Freedom to Write Index, released by PEN America, shows that Iran continues to be the world’s second-largest jailer of writers, second only to China.
According to the report, “Iran remained in second place globally, jailing a total of 49 writers during the year, down from 57 in 2022. Of this total, 34 are men and 15 are women. This represents a decline from the sharp spike seen in 2022, when writers were caught up in a wide-ranging crackdown on protests and other forms of dissent, including by the creative community.”
Pen America added that while the regime released several writers who were jailed as part of the 2022 protests, about seventy percent of these releases were on bail, with writers facing a range of restrictive conditions, including potential re-arrest and limited employment options.
Pen America indicates that, “Given Iran’s history of severe and persistent crackdowns on all forms of dissent, which escalated in response to the Woman Life Freedom movement, it comes as little surprise that Iran was again the second largest jailer of writers in 2023. Incarceration is merely one tactic in a broader array of repressive measures that include short-term detentions, spurious legal charges, and conditions on release such as job losses and restrictions on social media use.”
“This has led to increased self-censorship and a significant number of Iranian writers seeking exile,” said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, director of PEN America’s Writers at Risk program.
“In 2023, Iran remained the leading jailer of female writers globally, targeting 15 women, many for their writing and advocacy against mandatory hijab and other laws that discriminate against women,” according to the report.
The “Writing Freedom Index” report estimates that in 2023, at least 339 people around the world were arrested for expressing their opinions and beliefs.
