
The Iranian writer, journalist and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi will be honored at this week's PEN America Literary Gala. Mohammadi, currently jailed for “spreading propaganda," is to receive the 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
“Narges Mohammadi inspires awe across the world for her unflinching courage and resistance to the Iranian government’s determined campaign to silence her," PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement released Monday. “The sacrifices that she and her family have made are heartbreaking. She is a beacon for free expression in one of the most harsh places in the world for writers, journalists, and artists.”