Iranian writers win PEN freedom award

PEN America has announced that Iranian writers Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi are the winners of the 2026 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, given to writers imprisoned for their peaceful advocacy of free expression. Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, a writer and human rights activist, was arrested during the 2022 protests and is currently serving a five-year sentence in Tehran's Evin Prison. Ali Asadollahi, a poet and member of the Iranian Writers Association, was arrested in February 2025 and released on bail after approximately two months. The award highlights ongoing repression of free speech and dissent within Iran.