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. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: May 16, 2018

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Aden

Region & Country:Western Asia | Yemen

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On May 16, 2018, unidentified gunmen reportedly assassinated Najat Ali Muqbil, dean of the Health Sciences College at the University of Aden.

The attackers reportedly entered Professor Muqbil’s home before dawn, carrying automatic weapons, and killed Professor Muqbil, as well as her son and granddaughter. As of this report, police have reportedly identified one suspect in the attack, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about a targeted, violent attack on university personnel. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

Sources:

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/16/c_137183552.htm
http://menafn.com/1096864256/Yemen-gunmen-shoot-popular-academician-dead
https://www.yamanyoon.com/?p=111553&lang=en