Press Releases and Statements

UN Human Rights Council: 72 Countries urge greater cooperation to protect academic freedom

Scholars at Risk commends France, South Africa, and 70 other countries around the globe who came together today before the United Nations Human Rights Council to issue an historic Joint Statement in support of Academic Freedom.

Extend amnesty to remaining imprisoned scholars and students

Scholars at Risk issued the below letter to Iranian authorities, urging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to extend the amnesty granted to hundreds in prison to the scholars and students who remain in prison, including Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, Ms. Niloufar

Joint Statement: Bahrain’s 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly

Scholars at Risk joined Human Rights Watch and 20 other human rights organizations in urging Parliamentarians to publicly raise human rights and political freedom concerns in Bahrain ahead of the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly. The IPU Assembly is scheduled

Joint Letter: HRC52: Support consensus renewal of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders

SAR joins 168 NGOs in urging all Member States at the United Nations Human Rights Council to support the consensus renewal of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. Human rights defenders are people who act with humanity, serve

Joint Letter: Free Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace after a year and half of hunger strike

Scholars at Risk joined 21 organizations in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace. Today, Dr. Al-Singace’s turns 61, marking the 12th birthday he has spent in custody. Dr. Al-Singace has now been on a hunger

Recap: First Conference about Academic Freedom in the Americas

The First Conference about Academic Freedom in the Americas, organized by Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA), was held November 10 – 11, at the University of Monterrey, Mexico. The conference featured panels on academic freedom

SAR Ukraine Fellowships

Scholars at Risk (SAR) announces new fellowship support for SAR network member institutions in North America looking to host threatened and displaced scholars from Ukraine. The purpose of the funds is to support the Ukrainian research and academic sector, enable

Justice for Professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba

Scholars at Risk joins 18 human rights organizations in expressing grave concern for the well being of Professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba and asking the Chief Justice of India to review Professor Saibaba’s case, reconsider the decision to suspend the Bombay

Free to Think 2022: Armed conflict and clampdowns on discourse and dissent threaten scholars and students around the world

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2022 — Scholars at Risk (SAR) has released Free To Think 2022, a report analyzing 391 attacks in 65 countries and territories, between September 1, 2021 and August 31, 2022. The report underscores the pervasive and

Israel: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

On October 11, 2022, SAR submitted a report on Israel to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, which was prepared with assistance from the University of Turino’s Strategic Litigation International Legal Human Rights Clinic, focuses on attacks

SAR Student Advocacy Seminars Advocated for 10 Unjustly Imprisoned Scholars and Students in the 2021-22 Year

[NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022] — Scholars at Risk (SAR) published its inaugural Student Advocacy Seminar end-of-year report detailing the research and advocacy work of over 320 students at 16 universities in 8 different countries during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Immediately release Marfa Rabkova

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to authorities in Belarus expressing grave concern over the 15 year prison sentence given to Marfa Rabkova and calling for her immediate release. After nearly two years in pretrial detention, on September 6,

Saudi Authorities Must Release Women’s Rights Activist Salma al-Shehab (Joint Statement)

We, the undersigned NGOs, call on the international community to press Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release women’s rights activist and academic Salma al-Shehab, who was recently sentenced to 34 years in prison based on tweets in support

Joint Letter to Bahrain King: Free 400-day hunger striker Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace

Scholars at Risk joins 14 organizations in calling Bahraini authorities to release Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace as he reaches the 400th day of his hunger strike. King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Shaikh

MSCA4Ukraine Fellowship Programme: Preliminary information for applicants

As part of the EU’s response to the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, a new dedicated fellowship scheme — MSCA4Ukraine — will provide support to displaced researchers from Ukraine. This support will enable displaced researchers to continue their work at