May 23, 2013

Good News

Dr. Cyril Karabus Returns to South Africa Cleared of UAR Manslaughter Charges

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After eight months of frustrating delays in the United Arab Republic, the 78-year old South African pediatrician and oncologist, who was arrested on his way through Dubai last August, finally went home on May 17. The arrest grew out of a 2002 treatment by Dr. Karabus of a child suffering from cancer in the UAR.  The patient later died of leukemia.  … continue reading >>

Abdlolreza Ghanbari’s Death Sentence Set Aside, Amnesty International Learns

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Professor Abdolreza Ghanbari completed a PhD in Persian language and literature and has taught this subject in high schools and at Payame Nour University. We understand that his only political activity was to belong to a trade union that had been dissolved in 2007. Ghanbari was sentenced to death on January 30, 2010 on charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh) for allegedly participating  … continue reading >>

Chilean Court Charges Ex-Officers in Weisfeiler Arrest

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After 27 years of seeking justice in the 1985 disappearance of her brother Boris Weisfeiler in Chile, Olga Weisfeiler announced the indictment of eight officers charged with his arrest and with covering up his disappearance. The case of the Penn State mathematician was reopened in 2000 after the Clinton administration declassified about 450 secret documents relating to Weisfeiler. The American  … continue reading >>

Student Leader in Sudan Released

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We welcome news of the release from jail of Mohammed Salah Mohammed, a chemistry student in his final year at the faculty of science at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. CCS wrote protesting his arrest on June 24,  after non-violent student demonstrations in which he participated. Mohammed is the spokesperson of the Sudanese Student Democratic Front and president of the Nubian regional student  … continue reading >>

Professor Busra Ersanli Released from Jail

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CCS welcomes the news from Scholars at Risk informing us that Professor Busra Ersanli of Turkey was released from prison on Friday, July 13, 2012. Reports indicate that charges against Professor Ersanli remain and that the trial will continue on October 1. Professor Ersanli, a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Marmara University in Istanbul, was arrested on October 28,  … continue reading >>

Professor Al-Singace will get a new trial in Bahrain

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The April 30th hearing for Professor Abdul Jail Al-Singace, a scholar of mechanical engineering at the University of Bahrain, resulted in a re-trial for Dr. Al-Singace and his co-defendants (including human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who is currently on hunger strike). The date for the re-trial is not yet known. Dr. Al-Singace will have to remain in prison until the retrial.  … continue reading >>

Good News from Bahrain: Dr. Jahromi is Reinstated

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The Committee of Concerned Scientists received the following email from Dr. Masaud Jahromi. Dear friends and colleagues; Hi, I would like to inform you that last night I have been reinstated officially to my position - Chair of Telecommunication Engineering department in Ahlia University. Appreciating your remarkable efforts. Wishing the day that all Bahrainis receive their  … continue reading >>

Bahrain Should Reinstate Professors, Students as Independent Commission Recommends, SAR Urges

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The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI, established by the Bahraini government to investigate the aftermath of last year's protests in Bahrain) documented numerous instances of human rights violations against academics and students. Scholars at Risk (SAR), an international network of universities and colleges, recently called upon authorities in Bahrain to implement all of the  … continue reading >>

An Update on Professor Jahromi in Bahrain

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On January 19, 2012, Professor Masaud Jahromi of Bahrain met with the Public Prosecutor before the verdict for his trial was issued. The Public Prosecutor ordered that the charges be dropped since it was related to “freedom of speech” which is consistent with the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).  … continue reading >>

CCS Welcomes the Release of Vietnamese Professor, Pham Minh Hoang

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We welcome the release from prison of Vietnamese professor of mathematics, Pham Minh Hoang on January 13, 2012. CCS was among the many human rights groups and academic associations advocating for Professor Hoang’s release. Pham Minh Hoang, a professor of mathematics and blogger in Vietnam, was arrested on August 13, 2010 and was later convicted of holding membership in Viet Tan, a banned  … continue reading >>