11-04-27 Press Statement Ireland Blasphemy Law     27 April 2011 PEN International strongly supports the repeal of Ireland’s Defamation Act of 2009 and an amendment to the Irish Constitution‘s requirement that blasphemy be prohibited under Irish law. PEN is an organization whose members pledge to promote good understanding and mutual respect between nations and to [...]

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PEN International‘s WiPC Conference, Brussels, March 2011.  Emer Liston.      PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee conference is held bi-annually.  This year the location was Brussels, and the hosts were PEN Vlaanderen – the Dutch speaking Belgian PEN centre.  I had the great privilege of representing Irish PEN at the WiPC conference in Brussels, [...]

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  PEN International Writers in Prisons Conference 24-26 March 2011. On Saturday 26/03/2011 Emer Liston , Irish PEN delegate to the WiPC conference in Brussels, addressed the issue of Irish Pen’s Campaign to abolish Ireland’s Blasphemy Law. The delegation unanimously voted to support Irish PEN’s campaign , and PEN International pledged to write a letter [...]

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  New York City, March 30, 2011—PEN American Center today praised the U.N. Human Rights Council for ending efforts to restrict speech considered offensive to religions, calling the Council’s recent unanimous vote on a religious tolerance resolution “a vital affirmation of the inextricably-linked rights of freedom of expression and religion. “We are delighted that the OIC [...]

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Urgent Need for Irish Constitutional Referendum on Blasphemy The Executive Committee of Irish PEN, the Irish Centre for PEN International, is campaigning for a constitutional referendum to be held on blasphemy in the Republic of Ireland by the end of 2011. Why do we need a constitutional referendum? Article 40.6.1.i of the Irish Constitution requires [...]

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