by Eugene Chudnovsky, March 04, 2023 On Friday, a court in Belarus handed down a 10-year prison term to Ales Bialiatski, winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Bialiatski, 60, is a founder of the Viasna (Spring) Human Rights Centre that has been monitoring presidential elections and aiding political prisoners since 1996. He was imprisoned for funding political protests. Bialiatski, who holds ... Continue Reading>>
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Sakharov Center forced to close as wartime Russia purges human rights groups
The center, dedicated to the legendary dissident Andrei Sakharov, is one of several Russian human rights organizations being dismantled in wartime Russia. By Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, March 2, 2023 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/02/andrei-sakharov-center-moscow-closed/ ... Continue Reading>>
Leaked data shows the scale and horror of internment of Uyghur minority in China
A data leak has revealed that 1.5 million of the Uyghur population of Chinese people have been forced into internment camps by the Chinese government. The government’s efforts to silence their families and other ethnic minorities in the region has led to the breakup of families and genocide. The former President of Xinjiang University, Dr. Tashpolat Tiyip, is one example; after being tried, ... Continue Reading>>
University of the Philippines Professor Arrested For Allegedly Violating Social Security Act
University of the Philippines Professor, Melania Flores, was recently arrested and released on bail for allegedly violating the Social Security Act under charges that appear to be politically motivated against her union activities. The arrest was made at the university by officers who misrepresented their identities, violating an agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Government ... Continue Reading>>
UPDATE: Dr. Fariba Adelkhah Released from Prison in Iran
Dr. Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), was released from prison earlier this month after having spent more than three years in Evin Prison. She was originally sentenced to five years on national security charges. The Committee of Concerned Scientists urges that the terms of her release be unconditional and made ... Continue Reading>>
UPDATE: Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı Released from Prison, But Still Faces Charges
February 13, 2022 Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, President of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), was released from prison last month after her October arrest as part of the appeals process. She was found guilty of the charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda”. The Committee of Concerned Scientists urges that she be acquitted of all charges. ... Continue Reading>>
Niloufar Bayani Wrongfully Imprisoned and Tortured in Iran
In 2018, several biologists were arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, falsely accused of espionage, and summarily tried by the Revolutionary Court. Niloufar Bayani, graduate of McGill and Columbia Universities, was sentenced to ten years in ... Continue Reading>>
Court shuts down Russia’s oldest human rights organization
Court shuts down Russia’s oldest human rights organization founded in 1976 by the most prominent Soviet political dissidents including physicists Andrei Sakharov and Yuri Orlov. Click here to read the article in the Washington Examiner ... Continue Reading>>
Ukrainian Geologist Missing After December Abduction
On December 13, 2022, Neighbors witnessed Dr. Volodymyr Petrovych Vorovka, 52, be taken from his home by men wearing Russian military uniforms. Since the abduction, his family has been unable to obtain any information. ... Continue Reading>>
Iranian Students Subjected to Physical and Sexual Assault and Forced Disappearances for Alleged Protesting
Multiple Iranian university students have been subjected to physical and sexual assault and forced disappearances for allegedly participating in recent protest movements surrounding the country’s treatment of women. In particular, the cases of Sahra Rezaei, Soha Mortezei, and Melika Gharegozlou are particularly ... Continue Reading>>