Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Saudi Court of Appeals Upholds
Flogging Sentence of Blogger

The Committee of Concerned Scientists appeals to fellow academics to protest this offense against human rights, international law and every humane standard that would subject Raif Badawi to multiple floggings for the offense of expressing his opinion.

Take Action: Sign the Petition

June 10, 2015

Dr. John L. Hennessy
President of Stanford University
Building 10, Stanford CA 94305-2061

Dr. David J. Skorton
President of Cornell University
Office of the President
300 Day Hall
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853

Dr. Michael K. Young
President of Texas A&M University
1248 TAMUC
College Station TX 77843-1248

Dr. Robert C. Dynes
President of University of California Berkeley
Dr. Nicholas B. Dirks, Chancellor
200 California Hall #1500
Berkeley California 94720-1500

Dr. David Baltimore
President Emeritus, California Institute of Technology
Office of the President
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena CA 91125

Dr. G.P. Peterson
President of Georgia Institute of Technology
North Avenue, Atlanta GA 30332

Jean Lou Chameau
President
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal 23955-6900
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Committee of Concerned Scientists appeals to all science institutions collaborating with Saudi Arabia to raise their voice against the decision of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court last Sunday to uphold the sentencing of the blogger Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for “insulting Islam through electronic channels”. This cruel and inhumane sentence violates the norms of a civilized society and of international law and it requires immediate strong action from everyone.

According to previously published reports, lashing of Raif Badawi earlier this year had resulted in injuries to his body that took long time to heal. Sentencing of Raif Badawi to 50 lashes per week for a period of 20 weeks beginning this Friday is equivalent to the most barbaric slow execution known to the world. The responsibility for this action lies solely with the government of Saudi Arabia.

We ask scientists and scholars throughout the world, and especially those who have research and cultural ties with Saudi Arabia, to speak loudly against this inhumane sentence and help reverse the process that will lead to the horrific suffering and slow death of Raif Badawi whose only guilt consists of expressing his nonviolent views online.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Copies to:

Faculty Senates:
Stanford University: delpozzp@stanford.edu
Cornell University: kl24@cornell.edu
Tesas A&M University: senate@tamu.edu
CalTech Faculty Board: aramos@caltech.edu
Georgia Tech Faculty Governance: jeanne.balsom@gtri.gatech.edu

Scholars at Risk, NYU

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Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

David Gross, University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Former Honorary Board Members

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deseased) Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser (deceased), Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy (deceased), University of Pittsburgh

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

Louis Nirenberg (deceased), New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Myriam Sarachick (deceased), City College of New York

Harold Scheraga (deceased), Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Steven Weinberg (deceased), University of Texas, Austin*

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 273
Mountainhome, PA 18342
abender@concernedscientists.org