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: June 06, 2022

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Antioquia

Region & Country:Americas | Colombia

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On June 6, 2022, a professor within the law and political sciences faculty of the University of Antioquia reportedly received anonymous messages threatening to torture and kill her.

The professor’s identity has been kept confidential, apparently to protect her. However, reports indicate that the anonymous threats were a response to the professor’s academic activity. The university issued a statement on June 9, 2022, denouncing the threats as harmful to academic freedom and to the university’s mission. Available reporting does not indicate whether the threats have been investigated, or the status of such investigations.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent threats to scholars, apparently in retaliation for, or to prevent, academic activity. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such threats undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State and university authorities have a responsibility to take all available action to investigate and respond to such threats, to ensure the safety of scholars, students, and the entire university community.

Sources:
https://www.bluradio.com/blu360/antioquia/profesora-de-la-universidad-de-antioquia-fue-amenazada-de-muerte-rg10
https://www.teleantioquia.co/noticias/profesora-de-la-u-de-a-denuncio-amenazas/
https://www-udea-edu-co.translate.goog/wps/portal/udea/web/inicio/udea-noticias/udea-noticia/!ut/p/z0/fYyxDoJAEER_xYaS7Kl4SkksTIyFhTFwjdncXXQRdkEOY_x6QQtjYzOZmbwZMJCDYbzTGQMJYzXkwujTKl3PplmidkonWmV6nyyWs838cFSwBfMfGB6obFuTgbHCwT8C5I3cAla98xgp7H7TRWr_8aNOWAJZwi5S7zWTk5H61p1Y8g7dCNQ9k0UnscUYa8_4xDgte4bmaooXjAILvw!!/?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc