The way in which Bryan Fogel portrays the complex constellations of power — from the press corps to the Saudi crown to the White House — reveals a clear story of how murky the issues of free speech and dissent can be. Though the events surrounding Khashoggi’s death are complicated, Fogel makes one thing definite: more must be done.
Read more...
An interview with “barefoot lawyer” Chen Guangcheng, a prominent Chinese political activist who fought against the country’s one-child policy.
Read more...
Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich was recognized with the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize for giving voice to a “history of emotion.”
Read more...
“This art demonstrates the creativity of the young artist(s), risking it all to share the sentiments of their generation in Iran’s closed and heavily controlled environment.” Yaghoub Yadali examines the work of Black Hand, a dissident street artist using graffiti to make a political stance.
Read more...
Tor is an online privacy tool that can provide digital safety to dissident writers around the world, by allowing for anonymity and a secure line to social media. This post first appeared on PEN Sweden’s Dissident Blog and was written by Deji Olukotun. It was published by IFEX on May 12, 2014.
Read more...
Still denied his passport after nearly three years, Ai Weiwei exists in a strange purgatory. In this interview, the dissident Chinese artist speaks truth to power, as China’s exploitative processes of development demand great responsibility from the nation’s intellectual and artistic currents.
Read more...
A look at Ai Weiwei – The Fake Case, a new documentary produced and directed by Danish filmmaker Andreas Johnsen. Chronicling Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei’s life from 2009-2012, it follows his release from solitary confinement and subsequent placement under house arrest in 2011.
Read more...
