15 March, 2019
The literary and human rights organization PEN America is honoring three women's rights activists jailed in Saudi Arabia. The group announced recently that they have won the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
The three are Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain al-Hathloul, and Eman al-Nafjan. The Associated Press notes that their arrests last year have been condemned around the world.
Saudi Arabia says the activists were detained for working to "undermine the security" of the country. The detainees have openly opposed government policies that they believe restrict women's rights.
The PEN award comes at a time of intense international criticism of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In October 2018, Saudi activist and journalist Jamal Khashoggi went missing during a visit to the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. Investigators blame Saudi agents for his disappearance. They say Khashoggi was murdered.
Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Council denounced Saudi Arabia's "continuing arrests and arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders."
PEN has long noted that the Freedom to Write Award has been a way of turning advocacy into action. The group says 37 of the past 43 winners have been freed, at least in part because of the attention raised by the prize.
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"It helped me to survive while I was in prison," said Ahmed Naji, who won the award in 2016. He had been imprisoned in Egypt. The writer and journalist now lives in Washington, D.C.
PEN officials have not decided who will accept the Freedom to Write Award on behalf of the three Saudi women's rights activists. The PEN awards ceremony will take place in New York City on May 21.
I'm Caty Weaver.
Hillel Italie reported on this story for The Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
literary - adj. of or relating to literature
undermine - v. to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective
journalist – n. a reporter; someone working in the news media
arbitrary - adj. done without concern for what is fair or right
advocacy – n. the act of supporting a proposal or cause