Press Releases and Statements

Free to Think 2020: Attacks on higher education continue unabated in the COVID-19 era

New York, NY — Scholars at Risk (SAR) calls on the international community to take action to protect academic freedom in Free to Think 2020, a report released today. The report analyzes 341 attacks on higher education communities in 58 countries

Turkey: Institutional Autonomy Under Threat

Scholars at Risk has joined international partners in endorsing the below petition regarding recent events at Turkey’s Boğaziçi University. On January 1, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed new rectors to five universities in Turkey. These included appointing Melih Bulu, a

India: Free Dr. GN Saibaba amidst growing concerns for his health

Scholars at Risk joins Freedom Now, PEN International, and International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India in calling on Indian authorities to ensure the release of Professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba amidst growing concerns for his health and well-being. Narendra Modi

Harvard University Awards Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali Scholars at Risk Fellowship

The Scholars at Risk Secretariat welcomes news that Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian scholar at risk of execution, has been awarded a Scholars at Risk (SAR) Fellowship at Harvard University. SAR is grateful to Harvard University for offering this position

Action for Egyptian Human Rights Defenders

The undersigned organisations strongly condemn the persecution of employees of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and Egyptian civil society by the Egyptian government. We urge the global community and their respective governments to do the same and join

Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali Likely to Face Execution After Prison Transfer

UPDATE (December 2, 2020): Iranian authorities have reportedly postponed the execution of the death sentence and have not transferred Dr. Djalali to Rajai Shahr Prison. Scholars at Risk (SAR) understands that pressure from the international community contributed to the stay in the

Nobel Laureates Speak Out for Imprisoned Scholar Ahmadreza Djalali

A global consortium of 153 Nobel Laureates has issued a letter expressing concern for imprisoned disaster medicine scholar Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. The consortium’s latest letter—they began writing on Dr. Djalali’s behalf in November 2017—was issued in light of news that

Iran: Halt execution and release disaster medicine scholar Ahmadreza Djalali

New York, NY — Scholars at Risk (SAR) urges the Iranian authorities to suspend the capital sentence issued against Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali and to secure his immediate release. SAR understands that Iranian authorities recently put Dr. Djalali in solitary confinement

Call to action in support of scholars and students in Belarus

Scholars at Risk is deeply concerned about the harassment, intimidation, detention, fines, arrest, and expulsion of students and scholars in Belarus, in apparent retaliation for the nonviolent exercise of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, following peaceful protests in the aftermath of the

China: Release Imprisoned Scholars in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Scholars at Risk has issued the below letter to Chinese authorities and international stakeholders over a growing number of scholars and students who have disappeared in China and are suspected of being held in so-called “reeducation camps” and other detention

Rahile Dawut honored with Courage to Think Award

NEW YORK — Scholars at Risk (SAR) announced today that Dr. Rahile Dawut is the recipient of its Courage to Think Award for 2020. Dr. Dawut is being recognized for her own work, as well as that of all the

Thailand: End crackdown on peaceful student protesters

Scholars at Risk has issued the below letter to Thai state authorities and international stakeholders in response to distressing reports of authorities using violent force, arrests, and other coercive legal actions against students and other civilians who have participated in

Ghana: Concerns about the destructive impacts of the proposed Public University Bill 2020

SAR issued the below letter with AfricanDefenders and the African Studies Association to Ghanaian officials, urging them to direct the appropriate authorities to withdraw or otherwise reconsider the Public University Bill 2020 in order to ensure full respect for academic

Scholars at Risk welcomes European Court of Justice ruling in Commission v Hungary (‘lex CEU’)

Scholars at Risk welcomes the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which ruled that requirements imposed by Hungary to enable foreign higher education institutions to carry out activities in the country are incompatible with EU law. The court

Singapore: Drop police report against independent media outlet New Naratif [Joint Statement]

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, urge the government of Singapore to order the Elections Department (ELD) to immediately withdraw its police report against New Naratif, and to cease abusing the law to harass critical voices and independent journalists. On