University of Washington PhD Student Detained in Egypt
On May 24, 2018, Egyptian authorities reportedly detained Walid Salem, a PhD student at the University of Washington, in apparent connection with his academic research.
Monitoring Incidents
Reporting by SAR's Academic Freedom Monitoring Project of attacks on higher education communities around the world.
Iranian student-activists sentenced to jail over protest activities
On June 11, 2018, Iran’s Revolutionary Court convicted and sentenced University of Tehran student activists Sina Darvish Omran and Ali Mozaffari to prison in connection with their participation in protest activities.
Suicide bomber attacks Afghanistan’s Polytechnic University of Kabul
On June 4, 2018, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb at the Polytechnic University of Kabul, targeting a meeting of religious scholars, killing at least seven people, and injuring several more.
Scholar Detained at Israeli Border and Deported
On April 29, 2018, Katherine Franke, a professor of law, gender and sexuality from Columbia University Law School, was detained, interrogated, and ultimately deported after arriving in Israel, as part of a 20-person delegation of civil rights leaders.
Pakistani Scholars Excluded from Academic Conference
On February 19, 2018, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a letter ordering visa restrictions on scholars of Pakistani origin seeking to attend an Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Conference scheduled for July 5-8, 2018, to be hosted by Ashoka
Turkey: Twenty-five students detained in dormitory raids
On June 2, 2018, Turkish authorities reportedly detained 25 university students in Adana, apparently based on alleged connections to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, who authorities claim was responsible for a violent coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Büşra Ersanlı sentenced to one year and three months’ imprisonment for endorsing Peace Petition
On June 5, 2018, a Turkish court convicted and sentenced Büşra Ersanlı, professor emeritus at Marmara University, to one year and three months’ imprisonment on a charge of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization,” based on her endorsement of a petition
Yemen: Gunmen assassinate Dean of Health Sciences College at the University of Aden
On May 16, 2018, unidentified gunmen reportedly assassinated Najat Ali Muqbil, dean of the Health Sciences College at the University of Aden.
Student Protester Severely Injured
On April 16, 2018, following a protest in Santiago by Chile’s National Student Federation, authorities reportedly ran over a student protester with a police car, severely injuring him. The protesters had successfully applied for a permit to march, and had
Police Use Force Against Student Protesters
On March 27, 2018, police used violent force against a group of students outside the Constitutional Court in Santiago, Chile, as they protested a recent decision by the court regarding university funding. The students had gathered peacefully to protest a
SUNY Stony Brook writer arrested in Cameroon over article criticizing president
On December 7, 2017, Patrice Nganang, a scholar of comparative literature at Stony Brook University (SUNY Stony Brook), was reportedly denied exit from Cameroon and arrested by state authorities, in apparent retaliation for an article he wrote criticizing the Cameroonian
Police officer draws gun on students during campus protest
On November 16, 2017, police officers and student protesters clashed on the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia, reportedly leading to student injuries and the disruption of normal academic activities.
Scholar detained over alleged connections with Fethullah Gülen
On September 5, 2017, Turkish authorities reportedly detained Hakan Özhan, a professor of medicine at Duzce University, based on alleged connections with Fethullah Gülen, who authorities claim was responsible for a violent coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Student-journalist assaulted during campus protest
On September 1, 2017, a student journalist was assaulted while reporting on a demonstration at the University of Texas, Austin (UT-Austin).
Prominent scholar threatened over recent publication
On September 11, 2017, Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, a prominent political scientist and Dalit rights activist reported receiving violent threats, in apparent retaliation for a book he had recently published.