As members and friends will know, one of the ways PEN centres around the world raise awareness of the fight for freedom of expression is to have empty chairs at public events. An empty chair has indeed become one of the most powerful symbols of the FIFA World Cup. French journalists are leaving seats vacant to honour Christophe Gleizes, a reporter serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria, as mentioned in a PEN Perth February post. FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally called for a pardon for “the only sports journalist imprisoned in the world”.
If the FIFA World Cup left chairs empty for all the writers and journalists imprisoned in the world at the moment, 400 seats would have to be vacant at every match. Four hundred is the sad record of imprisoned writers reached in May 2026, according to PEN America. China and Iran top the list of the worst offenders against freedom of expression, but new countries are joining them: Togo, Mozambique, and the United States.
PEN Perth current adoptees’ list includes Yang Hengjun (China/Australia), Pham Doan Trang (Vietnam), Narges Mohammadi (Iran), Nguyen Vu Binh (Vietnam) and Frenchie Mae Cumpio (Philippines). More information on each of those writers can be found in our website.
Let’s keep on honouring the courageous writers who are in jail, and those at risk.
– Hélène Jaccomard, PEN Perth Acting Co-Chair