Novelist Salman Rushdie urged a global effort to defend freedom of speech while receiving the Liberatum Cultural Honour [3] in London.
The call comes as Rushdie continues to serve as a prominent symbol of intellectual resilience after surviving a stabbing incident in 2022 [1]. His advocacy highlights a growing tension between state authority and individual expression in multiple countries.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 [2], at Camden Town Hall in King's Cross. During the event, Rushdie said that freedom of speech is under "real assault" around the world [4]. He said that the right to free expression is worth fighting for [5].
Rushdie specifically addressed the current climate in the U.S. He said that America is having a difficult moment on free speech [6]. While some reports indicate that free expression in the U.S. is under sustained pressure from the Trump administration, other accounts describe the assault on speech as a broader global trend without attributing it to a specific administration [7].
The author's appearance in London follows years of living under security threats due to his writing. His presence at the Liberatum Cultural Honour event serves as a public reclamation of his voice, and a challenge to those who seek to silence dissent through violence or legislation.
Rushdie said that the struggle for free speech is not merely a legal battle but a fundamental necessity for a functioning society. He said the audience should remain vigilant against the erosion of these rights, regardless of the political climate.
“"Freedom of speech is under 'real assault' around the world."”
Rushdie's remarks signal a transition from his own personal survival to a broader systemic critique of global censorship. By linking the struggles of free speech in the U.S. with worldwide trends, he frames the issue as a universal crisis rather than a regional political dispute, suggesting that the mechanisms of censorship are becoming more synchronized across different regimes.
