Wole Soyinka is not just a writer—he is a global voice for human rights, democracy, and the power of words.

In 1986, he became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and for decades, he has taught, lectured, and collaborated with institutions in the United States.

Now, at age 91, his U.S. visa has been quietly revoked—without explanation, just weeks after he publicly criticized President Donald Trump.

While the U.S. government claims visas are a privilege, not a right, this sends the wrong message to the global community: that dissent is punished and that intellectual freedom is conditional.

Soyinka, ever dignified, joked about the incident and said he won’t reapply. But this is about more than one man. It’s about the signal we send when critics of those in power—especially artists and thinkers—are shut out of democratic spaces.

We call on the U.S. Department of State and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to:

• Immediately restore Wole Soyinka’s visa and issue a formal explanation for its revocation
• Publicly reaffirm the United States’ commitment to artistic and intellectual freedom
• Ensure that no political criticism is used—explicitly or implicitly—as grounds for visa denial or revocation
   

Soyinka has stood for freedom of expression his entire life—even at personal risk. Now we must stand for him.

Sign this petition to demand that Wole Soyinka’s visa be restored—and that the U.S. government recommit to its democratic values.

Alamy Stock Photo.