In January 1985 Boris Weisfeiler, Professor of Mathematics at Penn State, disappeared while hiking in the Andes. In the review of declassified documents, it appeared that he was kidnapped, questioned, tortured by the Chilean military and executed. In 2012 the Judge of the Chilean Court of Appeals indicted 8 Chilean police and military officers for this crime. Indictments assured that those ... Continue Reading>>
Our Work
Mathematician, Tuna Altinel, Denied Return of Passport, Despite Court Ruling Allowing Him to Leave Country
Tuna Altinel, a mathematics professor at Frances Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University was arrested in May 2019 and released in July while awaiting a second hearing in November. When released he was not denied travel but his passport was not returned. As there is no legal restriction on his travel CCS is requesting that his passport be returned to him. November 19, ... Continue Reading>>
Chemical and Engineering News Print Article by Board Members of CCS on Racial Profiling of Chinese American Scientists/Academics
Eugene Chudnovsky and Alexander Greer, two Board members of the Committee of Concerned Scientists, wrote an Opinion piece for the Chemical and Engineering News addressing problems of racial profiling of Chinese American academics and scientists. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR C&EN: Free academic exchange We would like to expand on “Amid Tensions with China, US Emphasizes ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Board Member, Myriam Sarachik, Profiled in NY Post Article
Dr. Myriam Sarachik, CCS Board Member and New York City College professor and researcher, was profiled in the November 9, 2019 issue of the New York Post. Dr. Sarachik overcame significant odds in a primarily male dominant field, as well as serious family tragedies, to earn her doctorate in Physics and obtain a teaching position at City College. In January Dr. Sarachik will be awarded the 2020 ... Continue Reading>>
Founder of Turkey and Middle East Forum Foundation Being Tried for “Propagandizing for a Terrorist Organization” in Turkish Court
Dr. Fikret Baskaya, Professor of Economic Development and International Relations, and Founder and Chair of the Turkey and Middle East Forum Foundation, was charged with "Propagandizing for a Terrorist Organization" and is facing five years in prison. November 20, 2019 Recep Tayyip Erdogan President of Turkey Office of the President 06573 Basbakanlik Ankara, Turkey Fax: +90 312 ... Continue Reading>>
Ayse Erzan, Retired Physics Professor at Istanbul Technical University and Xiaoxing Xi, a Chinese-born American Physicist and Former Chair of the Physics Department at Temple University Received the American Physical Society’s 2020 Andrei Sakharov Prize
Ayse Erzan was a signer of the Peace Petition in Turkey and wrongfully indicted. She has been involved in the peace and women’s movements. Upon notice of having received the reward Dr. Erzan commented that she felt the award was not really for her, but more for the struggles of the Academics for Peace. Dr. Erzan has been actively involved in assisting academics who have been, like herself, ... Continue Reading>>
European Union Awards Sakharov Prize to Uyghur Economist Ilham Tohti
On October 24, 2019 the European Union awarded its highest human rights award to Ilham Tohti - The 2019 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Tohti advocated greater autonomy for the Uyghurs of Xinjiang and was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 on “separatism” charges. The President of the European Parliament noted that since 2017 over 1 million Uyghurs have been detained in internment camps ... Continue Reading>>
Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics Issued Statement On the Arrest and Charges Against Russian Rocket Scientist, Victor Kudryavtsev
The Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics issued a statement on the arrest and charges against Russian rocket scientist, Victor Kudryavtsev which provides a detailed account of the TRANSHYBERIAN project with Russia. The recently released statement notes that they "could not find any trace of disclosing secret information by the team of Dr. Kudryavtsev in the context of the project”. [gview ... Continue Reading>>
17 Scholars, from Meliksah University in Turkey, Sentenced To Maximum of 11 Years in Prison
In the aftermath of the attempted coup in 2016, many universities in Turkey were closed leaving staff with no jobs and students with no available schooling. Many staff members of these schools were charged for “supporting a terrorist organization." Meliksah University was one of those involved. On August 15, 2016 arrest warrants were issued for 100 members of their staff. Sixty-three were detained ... Continue Reading>>
Lecturer at Rift Valley University in Ethiopia Arrested for Assistance in Writing Book Critical of the Ethiopian Government
Dr. Firew Bekele has been charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation accused of writing a book critical of the government. Bekele denies writing it but acknowledges helping with writing it. Being detained in this regard is a violation of his human rights to free expression and speech. CCS has written to the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, ... Continue Reading>>