PEN Canada envisions a world where
writers are free to write,
readers are free to read,
and freedom of expression prevails
Slain Bangladeshi-American author and blogger Avijit Roy is PEN Canada’s Empty Chair at the 36th International Festival of Authors (IFOA). Roy was murdered by religious extremists in Dhaka, Bangladesh in February 2015.
Four secular bloggers have been murdered in the first six months of 2015. The following appeal for protection appeared on Mukto-Mona (“Free Thought”) on August 19, 2015.
The murder of Bangladeshi blogger Niloy Chakrabarti is a harrowing reminder of the need for strengthened protection for writers.
In light of the murder of Bangladeshi writer, editor, and blogger Ananta Bijoy Das, PEN calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to swiftly and impartially investigate his death and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Finding the Words: Writers on Inspiration, Desire, War, Celebrity, Exile, and Breaking the Rules