The attacks have become more widespread while the rules-based world order has weakened, according to PEN, which highlights, among other things, the imprisonment of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin in Turkey.
The global situation is also being worsened by the large-scale use of AI to spread disinformation and create polarization, while armed conflicts have devastated large parts of cultural life in countries such as Myanmar, Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine.
In Ukraine, Russian forces have killed at least 255 cultural workers, including writers, artists and historians, according to PEN.
