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.

Russian sociologist imprisoned for criticizing the Russian government

Boris Kagarlitsky, noted sociologist in Russia, was recently sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony for half a decade, allegedly for justifying “terrorism” via an online video. In the video, Kagarlitsky commented on the 2022 Crimean Bridge explosion. It appears he has been punished for criticizing government policies.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/russia-anti-terrorism-legislation-misused-to-punish-activist-boris-kagarlitsky/

February 20, 2024

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
President of the Russian Federation
Ul.Ilyinka, 23
103132 Moscow
Russian Federation
Fax: +7 495 9102134
Twitter: @KremlinRussia

Dear President Putin,

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing regarding Boris Kagarlitsky, a noted sociologist and Marxist theorist in Russia. He has taught at many notable institutions, including the Moscow State University and the Moscow School for Social and Economic Sciences. He also leads the Institute of Globalization Studies and Social Movements and is associated with the Transnational Institute. In 2022, he was arrested, fined, and charged with “public justification of terrorism” for a video of the Crimean Bridge explosion he made for his online publication, Rabkor.

Kagarlitsky was recently sentenced to five years in a penal colony and prohibited from having a website after his release. The Committee is concerned the prosecution of Dr. Kagarlitsky is a punishment for his criticism of your administration. If true, it reflects a growing pattern of stifling any discussion perceived as an opposition to your government’s policies. We urge you to pardon Dr. Kagarlitsky and release him unconditionally, regardless of whether his beliefs are politically objectionable.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.

Sincerely,

CC:
Ambassador Anatoly Antonov
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 1 202 298 5700
Fax: 1 202 298 5735
Email: rusembusa@mid.ru
Twitter: @mfa_russia

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Walter Reich, George Washington University

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Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

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Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

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James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

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Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

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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
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abender@concernedscientists.org