Press Releases and Statements

International community must save Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali before it’s too late

Scholars at Risk joins 13 human rights organizations and academic associations in calling on the European Union, European state governments, and the United States government to secure the release of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. You may support Dr. Djalali by signing

SAR urges Venezuela to protect academic freedom, student expression

For more than two decades, scholars, students and higher education institutions in Venezuela have faced systemic pressures, including severe encroachments on university autonomy, targeted denials of funding to disfavored institutions, and individual attacks, such as arbitrary detention, arrest, and violence.

Human Rights Organizations Call on President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to Quash Ahmed Samir Santawy’s Verdict

Scholars at Risk has joined 60 human rights organizations in calling on President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to quash the verdict against postgraduate student Ahmed Samir Santawy. See the below statement in English, French, and Arabic. Sign this letter to join

United States: Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education About Racism and American History

Scholars at Risk has joined PEN America, the American Historical Association (AHA), and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and other partners in endorsing the below statement regarding recent state legislative

Scholars at Risk to the Council of the EU Working Party on Human rights (COHOM): Myanmar at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC 47)

In advance of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC 47), Scholars at Risk urges COHOM to address the widespread human rights violations by Myanmar’s military and police following the February 1 military coup and their disastrous impact on Myanmar’s higher

Scholars at Risk to the Council of the EU Working Party on Human rights (COHOM): Belarus at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC 47)

In advance of UN Human Rights Council (HRC 47), Scholars at Risk urges COHOM and the Human Rights Council to take measures to address the ongoing attacks on the higher education community in Belarus, and to support students and scholars

Egypt: Human Rights Organizations Condemn the Rotation of Ahmed Samir Santawy in a New Case and Call for Releasing Him

The undersigned organizations condemn new criminal investigations against researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy and his ongoing arbitrary detention, which stems from his academic work on women’s sexual and reproductive rights. We are alarmed by reports that Ahmed Samir Santawy had been

Belarus: EUA, ESU and SAR call on Europe to take action against criminalisation of students and academics

The European University Association (EUA), the European Students’ Union (ESU) and Scholars at Risk (SAR) join together to condemn the criminalisation of students and academics in Belarus. They call on the Belarusian authorities to protect and promote academic freedom and

Release Detained Belarusian Students

Scholars at Risk has sent to Belarusian authorities the below letter raising concern over the detention of a growing number of students in apparent retaliation for their nonviolent participation in protests across Belarus. SAR calls on Belarusian authorities to secure

Decline Sheikh Zayed Book Award in light of human rights violations in the UAE

Scholars at Risk (SAR) joins 26 organizations in asking the recipients of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award to decline the award and withdraw from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in light of human rights abuses in the United Arab

Grant Thai students the right to bail

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has sent to Thai authorities the below letter raising concern over the rapidly deteriorating health of two detained students, Mr. “Penguin” Parit Chiwarak and Ms. “Rung” Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul. SAR calls on Thai authorities to immediately secure

China: Revoke sanctions on international scholars and respect free and open scholarly inquiry

Scholars at Risk (SAR) denounces China’s sanctions on scholars and academic institutions in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) for their research activities—a grave threat to global academic freedom. SAR calls on Chinese authorities to revoke the

Universities call for Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s release

On the five-year anniversary of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s arrest, Scholars at Risk (SAR) remains alarmed at his continued detention and repeated denial of medical care, and encourages immediate action to rectify the human rights violations surrounding his arrest, detention, and

Egypt: 74 NGOs urge Egyptian authorities to release Ahmed Samir Santawy

Scholars at Risk joins 73 organizations in calling for the immediate release of Ahmed Samir Santawy. Mr. Santawy is a postgraduate student at Central European University in Vienna, Austria, who is detained in Egypt in apparent connection with his studies

SAR urges Hungary to restore and protect university autonomy

Since 2016, the higher education community in Hungary has faced escalating government pressures, in particular severe encroachments on university autonomy, including most prominently the government’s targeting and effective closure of a university. Scholars at Risk (SAR), in collaboration with the