Free word (association)

“Free Word” is the Russian Association of Writers, Journalists, Translators, Editors, Publishers, and Professional Bloggers.

The Association was created in 2017 in Moscow, in the context of the acute crisis of the Russian PEN Center . Many members of the Russian PEN Center, dissatisfied with changes in the organization, became its members, gradually the number of members of the association grew and by the middle of 2018 it included about 100 people. The chairman of the association is Alexander Arkhangelsky.

The Association is engaged in human rights activities in the field of freedom of speech and declared the connection of its activities with the spirit and letter of the “Charter of the International PEN Club”. The main objectives of the Association are the constant monitoring of the situation with freedom of speech in Russia, the collection and analysis of information on restrictions and violations of the rights to literary and journalistic work. The Association sees as its most important mission a broad and effective notification of both Russian society and international human rights and public organizations about the real situation in this area.

Association members prepared and presented publicly a number of reports ^[1] , reviews, other analytical and journalistic materials, made statements ^{[2] [3] [4]} and appeals, participated in the picket.