News

Network announcements, press releases and other updates from the SAR Secretariat

Two years since Peace Petition, attacks on higher education sector continue

Scholars at Risk has issued a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressing concern for continuing, severe pressures on Turkey's higher education sector and urging his support in reversing these actions.

Take Action to #SaveAhmad

Join Scholars at Risk in taking action on behalf of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a peaceful scholar sentenced to death in Iran. A scholar of disaster medicine, Dr. Djalali is facing execution in Iran in apparent retaliation for refusing to spy

Call for Courage to Think Award Nominations

We are no longer seeking nominations for the 2018 Scholars at Risk Courage to Think Award, which was presented at the Scholars at Risk Network 2018 Global Congress in Berlin on April 25, 2018. The Courage to Think Award recognizes individuals, groups or

Wrongfully convicted scholar Ahmadreza Djalali denied appeal of death sentence

According to family sources, an Iranian court has confirmed the death sentence of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a scholar of disaster medicine who was convicted and sentenced on October 21, in apparent retaliation for his peaceful exercise of the right to

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

SAR demands respect for due process as Academics for Peace go on trial

Scholars at Risk has issued a letter of appeal in support of scholars being prosecuted for their endorsement of the "Academics for Peace" petition.

European University Association calls on Iran to release Swedish resident scholar sentenced to death

Brussels, Belgium — In a letter dated November 13, 2017, the European University Association (EUA) has called on Iranian authorities to reverse the death sentence against Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali and to ensure his timely release. Dr. Djalali, an Iranian-born resident

SAR calls on Egyptian authorities to drop charges against renowned librarian

Scholars at Risk has called on Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Dr. Ismail Serageldin, an internationally renowned scholar librarian and former director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA). Dr. Serageldin was sentenced to a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence on July 31, 2017,

Bail decision reversed for Bekele Gerba

Scholars at Risk welcomes reports that Professor Bekele Gerba has been granted release on bail after nearly two years of detention, and calls on Ethiopian authorities to drop any charges against him.

Disaster medicine scholar sentenced to death in Iran

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned by reports that Ahmadreza Djalali, a scholar of disaster medicine, has been sentenced to death in Iran. Dr. Djalali is a permanent resident of Sweden, affiliated with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and the

SAR calls on Ethiopian authorities to release political scientist Merera Gudina

Scholars at Risk has called on Ethiopian authorities to release and drop all charges against Dr. Merera Gudina, a former professor of political science at Addis Ababa University and the chair of of the Oromo Federalist Congress. Dr. Gudina was arrested

Free to Think 2017: Anti-democratic trends driving increased attacks on higher education worldwide

Scholars at Risk has released Free to Think 2017, an annual report analyzing 257 reported attacks on higher education communities in 35 countries, from September 1, 2016, to August 31, 2017.

Robert Quinn on the 2017 Anne Frank Special Recognition Award

Remarks by Robert Quinn, Executive Director, Scholars at Risk Network, on the occasion of the 2017 Anne Frank Special Recognition Award presented by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the U.S.A. at the Library of Congress, Washington

SAR stands with Ismail Serageldin, renowned librarian and advocate for scholarship

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is gravely concerned over the conviction and sentencing of Ismail Serageldin, retired founding director of the Library of Alexandria, a renowned intellectual, and an advocate for science and scholarship, on charges that appear to have been

SAR recognized with Anne Frank Special Recognition Award

Seventy years ago, “The Diary of Anne Frank” introduced the world to an unforgettable voice. Through her diary, Anne Frank illustrated how education engaged and sustained her while she lived in hiding as a refugee in the Netherlands during World