Polish authorities have arrested a prominent Russian academic from St Petersburg’s world-famous Hermitage Museum who is sought by Ukraine for allegedly conducting illegal excavations and partially destroying the ancient city of Myrmekion in Crimea.Read more
December 15, 2025
Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland
Presidential Palace
Krakowskie Przedmieście 48/50
00-071 Warszawa, Poland
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland
Chancellery of the Prime Minister
Al. Ujazdowskie 1/3
00-583 Warsaw, Poland
Waldemar Żurek, Minister of Justice of Poland
Ministry of Justice
Al. Ujazdowskie 11
00-950 Warsaw, Poland
Dear Messrs. Nawrocki, Tusk, and Żurek:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars dedicated to protecting and advancing human rights and scientific freedom for their colleagues worldwide.
We are writing today regarding the detention of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin by Polish authorities. It was reported by the media that Poland is considering the request of the Ukrainian prosecutor to extradite Butyagin to Ukraine.
According to reports, Butyagin, the head of the Ancient World Department at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, was travelling through Europe with a series of lectures on archaeology when he was detained at a hotel in Warsaw. He has been accused by Ukraine of excavating archaeological sites in Crimea without obtaining a permit from Ukraine.
This Committee had condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine: https://concernedscientists.org/2022/02/ccs-condemns-russias-military-operations-in-ukraine/.
It has also published an open letter against the war in Ukraine, signed by thousands of Russian scientists and science journalists who subsequently were punished by the Russian government for their anti-war stance: https://concernedscientists.org/2022/02/an-open-letter-from-russian-scientists-and-science-journalists-against-the-war-with-ukraine/.
It is the strong conviction of this Committee, developed over its half-century work on behalf of persecuted scientists, that science must transcend national borders. Injecting territorial disputes into the work of a scientist is highly controversial. The state of war between Russia and Ukraine leaves little chance of a fair trial for Butyagin if he were extradited to Ukraine.
We respectfully ask that Butyagin be freed from detention and allowed to continue his science visits.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
CC:
Bogdan Klich (Chargé d’affaires)
Embassy of the Republic of Poland
2640 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
Marco Antonio Rubio
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520