Press Releases and Statements

Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus to the Human Rights Council

Scholars at Risk (SAR) sent the below document in response to a call for inputs for the annual report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus to the Human Rights Council. As expressed in

Release and drop charges against Marfa Rabkova

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to authorities in Belarus, urging them to secure Marfa Rabkova’s immediate release and to drop any charges against her. Ms. Rabkova has been imprisoned since September 17, 2020, and faces thirteen charges in

Restore Academic Freedom and Autonomy at Boğaziçi University

Scholars at Risk issued the below letter (PDF available here) to Turkish state and higher education officials in response to the arbitrary dismissal of three democratically appointed deans from Boğaziçi University. In the letter, SAR urges the reversal of the

Free Egyptian Scholars Ahmed Samir Santawy and Patrick George Zaki!

Today marks the first anniversary of Ahmed Samir Santawy’s arrest and the fourth postponement of Patrick George Zaki’s trial by the Emergency State Security Court. Both postgraduate students have been arbitrarily arrested and charged in apparent retaliation for the nonviolent

Support Patrick George Zaki before his February 1 trial!

In advance of February 1, 2022, SAR calls on the international community to support Patrick George Zaki, a postgraduate student at the University of Bologna, Italy. On February 1, Mr. Zaki will be brought before the Emergency State Security Court

Release Patrick George Zaki to Enable him to Complete his Master’s Program

Scholars at Risk sent the below letter to Egyptian authorities calling for them to take any available action to drop all charges against Mr. Patrick George Zaki, secure his unconditional release, and allow Mr. Zaki to fly back to Italy,

Egypt: Quash Verdicts and Stop Unfair Trials by Emergency Courts

Scholars at Risk joined the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) and over 60 organizations calling on President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi to immediately quash the verdict against seven arbitrarily detained human rights defenders and activists, including Central European University postgraduate

Bahrain: Request for support to free imprisoned human rights defender Dr Abduljalil AlSingace, on hunger strike since July 2021

Scholars at Risk joined 26 human rights organizations in sending the below letter to US, UK, German, and EU governments to raise Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace’s case with Bahraini authorities. Dr. Al-Singace’s health has severely worsened as he quickly approaches the

Free Professor Saibaba, who contracted COVID-19 a second time!

Scholars at Risk sent to Indian authorities the below letter raising grave concern for the health of Professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba, who tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time while in Nagpur Central Prison. Professor Saibaba’s second contraction of

Scholars at Risk Recognizes Imprisoned Iranian Scholar Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali with the Courage to Think 2021 Award and Releases Free to Think 2021 report

NEW YORK, Dec. 13th, 2021 — On Thursday, December 9th, Scholars at Risk (SAR) announced the 2021 Courage to Think Award and the release of the Free to Think 2021 report at its Free to Think 2021 virtual symposium. The

Free to Think 2021: Political upheaval and authoritarianism threaten academic freedom and the future of higher education

New York, NY — Scholars at Risk (SAR) urges governments, higher education leaders, and civil society to safeguard academic freedom and reverse the global phenomenon described in Free to Think 2021 of attacks on scholars, students, and their institutions. The

Ahmadreza Djalali honored with 2021 Courage to Think Award

Scholars at Risk (SAR) announced today that Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali is the recipient of its Courage to Think Award for 2021. Dr. Djalali, a prominent scholar of disaster medicine sentenced to death in Iran, is being recognized for his struggle

Free Dr. Abdul Jalil Al-Singace on 100th day of hunger strike

Today marks Dr. Abdul Jalil Al-Singace’s 100th day on a hunger strike in Jau Prison, Bahrain. For the past ten years, Dr. Al-Singace has been serving a life sentence for his nonviolent participation in a pro-democracy protest in 2011. Dr.

Scholars at Risk awarded the 2021 International Science Council Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award

October 13th, 2021 – The International Science Council (ISC) has announced Scholars at Risk (SAR) as the recipient of their Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award, in recognition of “outstanding contribution to defending and promoting the free and responsible practice of

Drop charges and immediately release Patrick George Zaki

Scholars at Risk sent to Egyptian authorities the below letter raising concern over the recent indictment against Patrick George Zaki, a postgraduate student of gender studies at the University of Bologna, Italy. Mr. Zaki is awaiting trial before the Mansoura