SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: January 10, 2013

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Diyala

Region & Country:Western Asia | Iraq

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On January 10, 2013 the University of Diyala announced that its President, Dr. Abbas Fadhil Al-Dulaimy, survived an assassination attempt when a roadside bomb targeted his convoy in the city center of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province. While Dr. Al-Dulaimy survived, the explosion killed two of his bodyguards and injured two others. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Dr. Al-Dulaimy was appointed president of the University of Diyala in June 2012.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on higher education communities.  Aside from the harm to the immediate victim, these attacks undermine the ability of higher education communities to serve their educational, research and social functions. State and university authorities have a responsibility to protect higher education personnel from such threats, and to do so in ways that do not undermine academic freedom or institutional autonomy. State and university officials also have a responsibility to prevent future attacks by holding perpetrators accountable.
Sources:
http://www.alsumaria.tv/Alsumaria-news/54357/Iraq%20security%20news/ar (ARABIC)
http://mohesr.gov.iq/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=3707 (ARABIC)