The attack on writer Salman Rushdie in New York is tragic and not unique, though rare. The Pen Club has long warned about the murder and imprisonment of writers and journalists. Across history, countless authors have been killed, attacked, or persecuted for their work. Freedom of expression carries inherent risks. It is important to remember the many cases that illustrate this ongoing danger.
The Egyptian writer Farag Foda was eliminated for being perceived as an opponent of Islam. He was shot near his Cairo home in June 1992 by a member of a fundamentalist group. In October 1994, the Egyptian novelist Najib Mahfouz was stabbed in the neck by a fundamentalist while on his way to a weekly meeting at a city casino to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1996, Mahfouz was labeled a heretic and faced death threats from radical groups. From then on, he remained largely confined to his home, with limited, police-supervised outings, until his death in 2006.
Jihadist extremists also killed and attacked journalists and writers. From January 7 to 12, 2015, members of the armed siege targeted the satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo and its staff, including prominent illustrators such as Charb, Cabu, Honoré, Tignous, and Wolinski, in a brutal assault carried out with rifles and other weapons after the publication’s cartoons of Muhammad provoked outrage.
Salman Rushdie has faced threats and violent acts tied to his writings. In 2018, Shahzahan Bachchu, a Bangladeshi editor, poet, and blogger known for secular viewpoints, was killed by extremist actors in central Bangladesh. In Afghanistan, journalists and editors affiliated with free expression faced danger after the Taliban took control of Kabul. Abdullah Atefi and Dawa Khan Menapal were among those affected in the ensuing turmoil.
Not only outspoken Islamic critics are at risk. In Myanmar, multiple writers were killed during a period of unrest and violence, including poets Myint Myint Zin and K Za Win, amid political upheaval documented in 2021 reports. In Denmark, a Turkish-born radio announcer and former gang member was shot in Copenhagen in 2018 on the day a book about gang experiences premiered. The violence against writers and illustrators underscores how political and social upheaval endangers freedom of expression globally.
Chase for truth and accountability has continued in other high-profile cases. An American-born Russian writer and journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, was shot and killed in the elevator of her home in 2006. Her work highlighted grave human rights concerns during the Chechen conflicts, and her memory is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by journalists who document abuses. Ambition and dissent often come with a heavy price, especially for those who report on powerful actors around the world.
Filmmakers, essayists, and writers with provocative ideas have also faced fatal outcomes. Pier Paolo Pasolini, the Italian filmmaker and writer, died in 1975 after a violent car crash, a victim of a context in which leftist views and taboo subjects could invite retaliation. In Spain, the poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca fled his home after a fascist coup during the Civil War era. He was executed by guards and nationalist forces, his body never recovered, symbolizing the grim possibilities faced by artists under repression.
Reactions to acts of violence against writers highlight the central issue: attacks on free expression threaten society as a whole. In 1952, workers who contributed to Yiddish literature and culture faced a brutal crackdown in Moscow, with several notable writers among those executed on orders attributed to a prior leadership era. The specter of persecution endures; the list of persecuted authors includes modern thinkers like Roberto Saviano, who has lived under protection since his work exposed organized crime.
Across continents, the pattern remains: writers and journalists often become targets when their words challenge power, expose corruption, or question sacred beliefs. The consequences are not abstract. They affect families, communities, and the broader culture by chilling discourse and curbing the flow of ideas that societies rely on to grow and improve. The enduring message is clear: protecting the freedom of expression requires vigilance, solidarity, and unwavering commitment to stand against intimidation and violence in all its forms. The global community continues to remember and reflect on these cases as part of a shared responsibility to defend truth, dignity, and rights for all writers and voices seeking to illuminate the world.