PEN Condemns Savage Attack on French Satirical Magazine Charlie Hebdo

09 Jan 2015
Je Suis Charlie

SA PEN, English PEN, PEN International, French PEN, PEN Lebanon, PEN Turkey and PEN American Center condemn the unprecedented attack on the office of the French publication Charlie Hebdo in Paris yesterday (08/01/2014) in which 12 people died and seven were injured.

This is not the first time that journalists, editors, writers, cartoonists and translators have been targeted for expressing opinions that may offend, outrage or shock sections of society. But there has never been an assault on such a scale in Europe. There can be no justification for using violence to silence or intimidate those who speak out, no matter how offensive their views.

In the face of such violence, it is incumbent on all governments and religious leaders to strengthen their commitment to press freedom and to safeguard freedom of expression as a fundamental human right. This attack must be investigated promptly and impartially in accordance with international standards and the perpetrators brought to justice.

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