Press Releases

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.

Denial of asylum to Dr. Radwan Ziadeh on dubious grounds would harm free expression, peacebuilding around the world

Washington, D.C. — A coalition of human rights advocacy groups has called on members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the United States Customs and Immigration Service’s announcement that it intends to deny Syrian writer, scholar, and human rights

‘We Are Syrians’ is the story of dissenters fighting for their country

When the Assad government wanted to silence them, Naila Al-Atrash, a theatre director, Radwan Ziadeh, an intellectual, and Sana Mustafa, a student organizer, refused to stop making their voices heard. They organized, they protested, they made art. Editors Adam Braver

SAR mourns passing of wrongfully imprisoned scholar-activist Liu Xiaobo

Scholars at Risk mourns the passing of Liu Xiaobo, a scholar of literature, writer, human rights defender, democracy advocate , and a Nobel Laureate, wrongfully imprisoned in China since 2008.

Release and ensure rights of wrongfully convicted scholar-activist Khalil Al-Halwachi

Today, a coalition of five human rights organizations expressed grave concern over the lack of due process rights and inhumane treatment of Khalil Al-Halwachi, a Bahraini scholar of engineering and an activist, who has been convicted and sentenced to ten

Launch of Scholars at Risk Finland Section

Representatives from universities across Finland convened in Vaasa on May 8, 2017 to launch the Finnish section of Scholars at Risk (SAR). SAR is an international network of more than 460 higher education institutions in 35 countries working to protect

UAE: Free Wrongfully Imprisoned Human Rights Defender Ahmed Mansoor

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates should immediately release Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights defender who is facing charges that violate his right to freedom of expression, a coalition of 18 human rights organizations said today, one month after

Venezuela: Students’ right to protest under attack

SAR has joined seven Venezuelan higher education and human rights partners in an open letter to state authorities, expressing grave concern over the use of force against student protesters, which recently resulted in the death of one student.

Pakistan’s higher education sector faces significant violent and legislative pressures

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has filed a submission to the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR), expressing grave concern over threats to Pakistan’s academic freedom and the ability of its higher education space to function in a safe, free, and

SAR expresses grave concern over threats to academic freedom in Hungary

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has issued a letter to Hungarian authorities expressing concern over proposed legislative amendments that apparently target Central European University (CEU). If passed, these changes would threaten CEU’s existence as well as academic freedom and institutional autonomy

Professor Istar Gozaydin’s 100th day of incarceration displays deteriorating conditions for freedom of speech in Turkey

Thursday March 30th marks the 100th day of imprisonment of Professor Istar Gozaydin, lately Chair of the Department of Sociology at Turkey’s Gediz University.

United Arab Emirates: Stop paying lip service to human rights and release Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith

A coalition of ten human rights organizations today urged the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Dr Nasser Bin Ghaith.

SAR and Venezuelan partners demand release of jailed scholar Santiago Guevara

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has joined five Venezuelan higher education and human rights groups in calling on the authorities to release and protect the rights of wrongfully detained scholar of economics Santiago Guevara. Professor Guevara, a prominent economist at the University of

SAR calls on Venezuelan authorities to release economist Santiago Guevara

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has called on Venezuelan authorities to release and drop all charges against Professor Santiago Guevara, an economist from the University of Carabobo.

SAR-Canada: Academic Freedom in a Volatile World

Ottawa, ON: The Steering Committee of the Canadian Section of the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR) along with Gary Anandasangaree (MP, Scarborough Rouge Park), Peter Kent (MP, Thornhill), and Murray Rankin (MP, Victoria) will host a series of panel discussion

What has not changed…

Many network members, partners, and scholars have sent notes about the recent US presidential election expressing concern about possible changes in US policies and any impacts on SAR scholars and activities.

Free to Think 2016: States must do more to respond to crisis-level attacks on universities, scholars, and students

Scholars at Risk has released Free to Think 2016, a report analyzing more than 150 reported attacks on higher education communities in 35 countries, from May 1, 2015 to September 1, 2016.

UAE: Speech Charges Violate Academic’s Rights – Nasser Bin Ghaith Held Incommunicado for 9 Months

The United Arab Emirates’ authorities have committed serious violations of fair trial rights in their prosecution of Emirati academic Nasser bin Ghaith.

German Universities unite to provide more support for threatened researchers

SAR launches German Section of the global Network; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation hosts secretariat.

SAR condemns violent attack on American University of Afghanistan

Scholars at Risk condemns in the strongest terms yesterday's violent attack on the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul, and sends condolences to the victims, their families and the AUAF community.

Student activists arrested over leaflet distribution

On August 6, 2016, a group of Thai police officers, soldiers and government officials reportedly arrested student activists "Pai" Chaturapat Boonyapatraksa and Wasin Prommanee for distributing leaflets critical of Thailand’s draft constitution.

SAR urges expression of support for Turkey’s threatened higher education sector

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned about sweeping actions against Turkey’s higher education sector, including forced resignations, suspensions, and travel bans, reportedly affecting thousands of individuals, in Turkey and abroad.

Thai student activists arrested for distributing flyers critical of Junta’s draft charter

On June 23, 2016, uniformed and plainclothes soldiers reportedly arrested a group of 13 student and union activists from the New Democracy Movement who were distributing flyers critical of the Thai Junta's draft charter.

Egypt’s wrongfully detained scholars and students honored with 2016 Courage to Think Defender Award

On June 9, Scholars at Risk presented the 2016 Courage to Think Defender Award to Egypt’s wrongfully detained students and scholars, in recognition for their commitment to exercising the right to think, share and question ideas despite tremendous risks. The

Free Emirati human rights defender Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, on trial for online posts in violation of his right to free expression

We, the undersigned NGOs, call on the authorities to immediately release human rights defender and professor of economics Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, who remains in detention in an unknown location in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his social media

Crisis of attacks on higher ed to be addressed at Scholars at Risk’s 2016 Global Congress

The Congress is an opportunity for the Network to come together to learn more about these issues, hear inspirational narratives from SAR scholars and to discuss ways to protect and ultimately strengthen the university space.”

Swedish universities to launch Scholars at Risk section

"By joining forces, Swedish universities are putting principles into practice on behalf of threatened scholars."

Global higher ed networks stand with scholars in Turkey

“Actions reportedly taken against these scholars raise serious concerns not only for [the scholars’] professional and personal well-being, but for the overall well-being of the Turkish higher education and research community, and for the ability of intellectuals and institutions in

Bahrain: As human rights defender Dr. Al-Singace enters 300th day of hunger strike, NGOs call for his immediate release

NGOs from the around the world call for the immediate release of prisoner of conscience Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace on his 300th day of hunger strike.

Threatened scholars will find sanctuary in Germany through a new fellowship program

Scholars at Risk is honored to partner with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in the launching of the Phillip Schwartz Initiative, a fellowship program that will allow up to 20 scholars and scientists threatened by war and persecution to continue

Scholars at Risk releases Free to Think, a report highlighting the alarming frequency of attacks on higher education around the world.

“We hope this report will inspire everyone to do more to protect higher education and the freedom to think”