Man wielding an AK-47 arrested outside Brooklyn home of Iranian writer

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Utah School District Yanks 52 Books and Flags Another 32 for Later Review ([link removed])

Alpine School District of Utah (the largest in the state, with 84,000 students) has pulled 52 books off its library shelves after parents complained that the titles—which largely focus on the LGBTQ community—are inappropriate for children. It is the latest Utah front in a national culture war that has centered on literature and affected several school districts throughout the state, where conservative parents are claiming the books should be banned because they contain pornography. First Amendment advocates are speaking out, saying it is a violation to remove the books—especially when many of the titles are about historically marginalized groups. Read PEN America’s statement. ([link removed])
U.S. Free Expression Stories

Lies for profit: Can Sandy Hook parents shut Alex Jones down?
When viral lies harm private people, are the courts their best refuge? A trial to decide how much the conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones must pay for defaming Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis attempts to answer that question. More important than money, the parents said, is society’s verdict on a culture in which viral misinformation damages lives and destroys reputations, yet those who spread it are seldom held accountable.
THE NEW YORK TIMES ([link removed])

RAP Act introduced in House would ban lyrics from being used as evidence in criminal cases
A new piece of legislation, the Restoring Artistic Protection Act (or “RAP Act”), that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday would ban the use of lyrics from being used as evidence in legal claims. Similar legislation, the “Rap Music on Trial” bill ([link removed]) , which was supported by PEN America, was passed in New York in May.
CNN ([link removed])

A journalist was told her skirt was too short to report on an execution
Ivana Hrynkiw Shatara, a reporter for AL.com, was one of two female reporters covering the execution at an Alabama prison last week who were questioned over their clothing.
THE NEW YORK TIMES ([link removed])
The Latest from PEN America
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PEN America and The Washington Post Collaborate on a New Op-Ed Series ([link removed])

Amid an unparalleled wave of attacks on academic freedom and public education nationwide—including the introduction of nearly 200 educational gag orders and the adoption of gag order policies in 19 states—PEN America, in partnership with The Washington Post’s Made by History section, is launching a new Freedom to Learn op-ed series. Read more. ([link removed])

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Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom and the Future ([link removed])
Monday 9/12 | 4 pm
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

Join PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel and President Ayad Akhtar for an afternoon of public conversation with world-renowned authors and staunch advocates for the freedom to write including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Margaret Atwood, Jenny Finney Boylan, Dave Eggers, and Salman Rushdie. The speakers will reflect on milestone moments in PEN America's history and current-day silencing, charting the ways in which writing and free speech are being challenged through book bans, educational gag orders, online harassment, self-censorship, and the detention of journalists and artists worldwide. Learn more and register. ([link removed])

Global Free Expression Stories

A leading journalist is arrested in Guatemala
In another sign of growing political repression in Guatemala, the authorities have arrested an award-winning journalist who was critical of the government and raided the offices of the newspaper he founded. José Rubén Zamora, president of the elPeriódico newspaper, was arrested at his home in Guatemala City on Friday night on charges including possible money laundering, blackmail and influence peddling. Read PEN America’s statement. ([link removed])
THE NEW YORK TIMES ([link removed])

Man with AK-47 arrested outside Iranian writer's Brooklyn home a year after kidnapping threat
A man arrested with a loaded AK-47 assault rifle outside the Brooklyn home of outspoken Iranian writer Masih Alinejad is due in federal court Monday amid questions about his intent. Alinejad was targeted last year in a kidnapping plot ([link removed]) allegedly organized by Iranian nationals, according to the Department of Justice.
ABC NEWS ([link removed])

Russian writer Shenderovich fined for not complying with foreign-agent status
Well-known Russian writer Viktor Shenderovich, who is currently living outside of Russia, has been fined for "failing to comply with the status of a foreign agent." Pavel Chikov, the chief of the legal defense organization Agora, wrote on his Telegram channel on August 2 that the Preobrazhensky district court in the Russian capital fined Shenderovich 10,000 rubles ($160) for not marking his online posts with a "foreign-agent" label.
RFE ([link removed])
Spotlight: Phyo Zayar Thaw
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An illustration of Phyo Zayar Thaw by the graffiti artist Bart Was Not Here, who mixes text and image from Burmese and global pop culture.
Phyo Zayar Thaw ([link removed]) was a pro-democracy activist who was executed in July, along with Ko Jimmy, U Hla Myo Aung, and U Aung Thura Zaw in Myanmar. A well-known hip-hop musician, he had been arrested for protesting and served five years in prison from 2007 to 2011, before being elected to serve in the democratically-elected government’s parliament in 2015. In 2021, he participated in protests against the coup and was arrested in November.

Listen to Phyo Zayar Thaw’s song “Generation Driven by Faith,” ([link removed]) which was uploaded in response to his execution by Rap Against Junta ([link removed]) , a creative resistance movement started by members of Myanmar’s hip-hop scene.
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