Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian human rights lawyer was sentenced in 2018 to a total of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes for a variety of offenses, including 12 years for “promoting immorality and indecency.” Her legal work has included litigation opposing death sentences and the imprisonment of girls, as young as 9, for not wearing a hijab. She was first jailed for this work in 2010, and then in ... Continue Reading>>
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Trial Set to Begin in Iran For French Academic
French Anthropologist remains in jail awaiting trial. Her partner has now been released and the charges against her have diminished, with one being dropped. ... Continue Reading>>
Academic Dismissed from Position for Criticizing China’s Political System
Chau Pui-yi, a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was dismissed for posting criticism of China’s political system and for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. CCS wrote the University President requesting he review the case and reinstate the lecturer. ... Continue Reading>>
Professor of Literary Criticism Suspended Without Pay in South Sudan for Differing With Government Policies
Taban Lo Liyong, a professor of literary criticism was suspended without pay for writing an article in which he differed with the government’s position regarding establishment of 32 new states to replace the current 10 states, noting that it would be inequitable and unconstitutional. CCS wrote to the University’s Vice Chancellor requesting a review of the case and to support Liyong’s right to ... Continue Reading>>
Academic and Girlfriend Arrested in China for Subversion
Xu Zhiyong, former law lecturer arrested in February for attendance at a meeting of human rights advocates. CCS writes President of China requesting review of the situation. ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Suggests Iran Free Ahmadreza Djalali to Work on Coronavirus Problem
March 18, 2020 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran c/o Majid Takht-Revanche, Ambassador Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations 622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor, P.O. Box: 20432 New York, NY 10017 Email: mailto:iran@un.int, Fax: 212-687-2020 Your Excellency Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: The Committee of Concerned Scientists is ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Cancels 2020 Annual Meeting In An Effort to Protect from Spread of Covid-19
On March 8 the Committee of Concerned Scientists sent a notice out to all of the invitees to its Annual Meeting that the Board decided, in light of the country's attempt to stem the spread of Covid-19, to cancel its Annual Meeting for 2020. ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Mourns the Passing of Its Long-Time Honorary Board Member and Committed Human Rights Supporter, Louis Nirenberg
Louis Nirenberg, one of the greatest mathematicians of our time, and a long-time member of the Committee of Concerned Scientists, is dead at 94. New York Times Obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/science/louis-nirenberg-dead.html Nature Magazine Obituary: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00449-y ... Continue Reading>>
Conservationist Depicts Iranian Prison Conditions In Letters Sent to Media
Niloufar Bayani is a widely respected conservation scientist who works at the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. She received a Master’s in conservation biology from Columbia University in 2012, and then worked for the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in Geneva before joining the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation in 2017. She and eight colleagues were arrested in January 2018 and accused of ... Continue Reading>>
Congress Investigating Targeting of Chinese-American Scientists by NIH and FBI
On February 20, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. Judy Chu began an investigation into concerns that Chinese-American scientists are being unfairly targeted in espionage investigations. Raskin, who chairs the Subcommittee on Civil Right and Civil Liberties in the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, sent letters to the National ... Continue Reading>>