2018-10-25 Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Posted July 11, 2019

Date of Incident: October 25, 2018

Attack Types: Prosecution

Institution(s):Universitat de Barcelona | Universitat Pompeu Fabra | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Region & Country:Europe | Spain

New or Ongoing:New Incident

Correction: On May 14, 2019, SAR reported on the prosecution of four professors for serving on an electoral commission set up by the Parliament of Catalonia in September 2017. Upon further review, the conduct alleged in the prosecution relates chiefly to questions of state sovereignty and self-determination, which go beyond questions of academic inquiry and expression that are the focus of the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project. SAR has therefore removed the report from the Monitoring Project index.

SAR takes no position on the referendum, the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the prosecution, or the merits of the allegations, and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure future proceedings against the professors, if any, comport with Spain’s obligations under domestic and international law.