VOA慢速英语--Jailed Saudi Women Receive PEN Writing Award

（单词翻译）

The literary and human rights organization ?PEN America is honoring three women’s rights activists¹ jailed in Saudi Arabia. The group announced recently that they have won the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.

The three are Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain al-Hathloul, and Eman al-Nafjan. The Associated Press notes that their arrests last year have been condemned³ around the world.

Saudi Arabia says the activists were detained for working to “undermine the security” of the country. The detainees have openly opposed government policies that they believe restrict women’s rights.

The PEN award comes at a time of intense international criticism of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin⁴ Salman. In October 2018, Saudi activist² and journalist Jamal Khashoggi went missing during a visit to the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. Investigators⁵ blame Saudi agents for his disappearance⁶. They say Khashoggi was murdered.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Council denounced Saudi Arabia’s “continuing arrests and arbitrary detentions⁷ of human rights defenders⁸.”

PEN has long noted⁹ that the Freedom to Write Award has been a way of turning advocacy into action. The group says 37 of the past 43 winners have been freed, at least in part because of the attention raised by the prize.

“It helped me to survive while I was in prison,” said Ahmed Naji, who won the award in 2016. He had been imprisoned¹⁰ in Egypt. The writer and journalist now lives in Washington, D.C.

PEN officials have not decided¹¹ who will accept the Freedom to Write Award on behalf of the three Saudi women’s rights activists. The PEN awards ceremony will take place in New York City on May 21.

I'm Caty Weaver¹².

Words in This Story

literary - adj. of or relating to literature

undermine - v. to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective

journalist – n. a reporter; someone working in the news media

arbitrary - adj. done without concern for what is fair or right

advocacy – n. the act of supporting a proposal or cause