Government Eases Rules on Writers in Sanctioned Nations
The U.S. Treasury Department has agreed to ease restrictions against publishing work from writers in countries who are under U.S. economic sanctions, such as Cuba, Iran and Sudan, reports The New York Times.
The decison comes in response to a several lawsuits brought against the U.S. government for violations of freedom of speech, the most visibly by Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian attorney and human rights advocate who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Ebadi filed suit last month when her agents here were prevented fofrom pursuing a publishing deal for her memoirs. Effective immediately, the new Treasury Department rules will permit "all transactions necessary and ordinarily incident to the publishing and marketing of manuscripts, books, journals and newspapers" in paper or electronic format, including the commissioning of new works, advance payments, augmenting of already published work with photographs or artwork, editing and publicity." See the ruling from the Treasury Department. Get the story from Aljazeera.