Press Releases and Statements

SAR calls on Belarusian authorities to cease targeting EHU students and families

On August 25, 2026, students from the European Humanities University (EHU), Lithuania, reported, upon their return home to Belarus, that they were subject to searches, threats, intimidation, criminal charges, and detentions following Belarus’s crackdown on affiliates of the university. These

Violent Repression and Government Overreach Fuel Global Decline in Academic Freedom, Free to Think 2026 Report Finds

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2026—Violent state repression and government interference in university autonomy lead the global decline in academic freedom, according to Scholars at Risk’s (SAR) new Free to Think 2026 report. Documenting 382 attacks on higher education communities in

Release U.S. Citizen & Scholar Min Zin

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Chinese authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Min Zin. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email President Xi Jinping The State Council General Office People’s Republic of

Release Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace after sixteen years in prison

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Bahraini authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable Dr. Ali Bin Fadhel al-Buainain Attorney General Ministry of

Joint Statement of Concern for US Citizen & Academic Min Zin’s Detention in China

The below letter, signed by over 100 US professors in the US and abroad, expresses grave concern for scholar of political science and US citizen Min Zin, wrongfully detained in China on June 3, 2026 while traveling to an academic

Release student Bahruz Samadov, wrongfully imprisoned for over a year and a half

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Azerbaijani authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Mr. Bahruz Samadov on his 31st birthday. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable Ilham Aliyev President of

Thailand: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

In April 2026, SAR submitted a report on Thailand to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, written in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Coalition for Academic Freedom and the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism at

United States: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

In April 2026, SAR submitted a report on the United States to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report focuses on findings from the 2026 Academic Freedom Index, federal and state encroachments on university autonomy, and rising reports

Hungary: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

In April 2026, SAR submitted a report on Hungary to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, written in collaboration with the Human Rights Centre of Ghent University, focuses on the multi-year process of governance capture, legal centralization,

Singapore: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

On October 13, 2025, SAR submitted a report on Singapore to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, prepared in collaboration with members of a seminar held at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), focuses on how academic freedom levels

Scholars at Risk conference examines pressures facing U.S. higher education and commemorates 25 years of protecting academic freedom worldwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEW YORK, NY — Scholars at Risk (SAR), an international network dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom, will host a U.S. Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference on October 9-10, 2025, at New York University. The two-day event

Release student Marfa Rabkova, wrongfully imprisoned for five years

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Belarusian authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Ms. Marfa Rabkova on the fifth year anniversary of her arrest. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable

Iran: SAR files submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran

On July 31, 2025, SAR submitted a report on the status of academic freedom in Iran to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran. The submission called on members of the UN General Assembly to emphasize academic freedom, noting the

Release Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith, wrongfully imprisoned for ten years

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Emirati authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum Vice-President and Prime