Press Releases and Statements

Release Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace after four years on hunger strike

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

Call to Europe to champion academic freedom and protect academics at risk

A coalition of leading European consortia, initiatives and organisations dedicated to the protection of researchers at risk and the promotion of academic freedom and autonomy, are launching a collective call urging Europe to champion academic freedom and protect researchers at

Release wrongfully imprisoned PhD student Bahruz Samadov

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Azerbaijani authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Mr. Bahruz Samadov. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable Ilham Aliyev President of Azerbaijan May 21, 2025

Release wrongfully imprisoned academic Igbal Abilov

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Azerbaijani authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Mr. Igbal Abilov. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable Ilham Aliyev President of Azerbaijan May 16, 2025

Bahrain: Joint Letter on Human Rights Situation to Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council

SAR, along with 26 other organizations, contributed to a joint statement sent to United Nations Human Rights Council, ahead of its 59th session. The statement details current health and other concerns relating to several wrongfully imprisoned political prisoners in Bahrain,

Save Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, imprisoned for nine years

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Swedish authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. Take action by signing a letter here and read SAR’s recent interview with Dr. Djalali’s wife and daughter here.

Students advocate for wrongfully imprisoned scholars in Washington, DC – Student Advocacy Days 2025

From March 26 to 27, 2025, over 30 Student Advocacy Seminar students from Mansfield University, Roger Williams University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Iowa, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison convened in Washington, DC for SAR’s annual US

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

On April 7, 2025, SAR submitted a report on the United States to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, written in collaboration with the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), focuses on findings from the 2025 Academic Freedom Index

Belarus: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

On April 7, 2025, SAR submitted a report on Belarus to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report, written in collaboration with the legal clinic of the Human Rights Centre of Ghent University, focuses on the escalating repression

Scholars at Risk Awarded University of Iowa’s Courage of Conviction Award for Promoting Academic Freedom, Human Rights, and Student Advocacy

IOWA CITY, IOWA, March 5, 2025— Scholars at Risk (SAR) was honored to receive the Courage of Conviction Award from the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR). The award, presented to an individual or organization possessing extraordinary commitment

Save Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali after nearly nine years in prison

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Swedish authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email The Honorable Ulf Kristersson Prime Minister of Sweden February 13,

Release Professor Ilham Tohti

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Chinese authorities, urging them to secure the immediate release of Dr.Ilham Tohti. Take action by signing a letter here. Via email President Xi Jinping The State Council General Office January 15, 2025

Türkiye: SAR files submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

On October 11, 2024, SAR submitted a report on Türkiye to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report focuses on the continued suppression of political expression on campus within the higher education community in Türkiye. Türkiye now ranks

Release Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith immediately

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to United Arab Emirates authorities again, 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

Free to Think 2024: Violence, destruction, and repressive laws: Attacks on higher education are widespread and can happen anywhere

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2024—Scholars at Risk (SAR) released Free to Think 2024, a report analyzing 391 attacks on higher education communities in 51 countries and territories from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. This year’s report demonstrates that

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

Introducing Scholars at Risk

Scholars at Risk is an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom. Learn more about SAR’s mission and the courageous scholars we are honored to assist in the below video

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