3 Saudi women activists receive PEN Freedom to Write Award
NEW YORK (AP) — Three prominent Saudi women’s rights activists arrested last year are being honored by PEN America.
Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain al-Hathloul and Eman al-Nafjan have won the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, the literary and human rights organization announced Thursday. The award was established in 1987 and is given to a writer or a group of writers targeted for free expression. Previous recipients, many of whom have since been freed, have come from Ukraine, Egypt and Ethiopia among other countries.
Abdulaziz, al-Hathloul, and al-Nafjan have openly opposed such government policies as a ban on women driving and the restriction of women’s travel, education and other rights without the permission of a male guardian. The PEN award comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of Saudi Arabia, since the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last fall.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
