Doctors in Venezuela warned that an outbreak of a mosquito-borne disease in Venezuela could lead to a wider epidemic, as it had in other South American nations. The government accused one doctor of "psychological terrorism" and threatened him with prosecution, forcing him to flee the country. Representatives of the medical profession characterized the threats as part of a campaign against their ... Continue Reading>>
Our Work
Doctor’s Estimate About Epidemic
Good News: Iran’s Supreme Court to
Reconsider Kokabee Case
Omid Kokabee’s attorney, Saeed Khalili, posted the news on his Facebook page that the Supreme Court of Iran has accepted his request for reconsideration of Omid’s case. The lawyer is confident about proving Kokabee’s innocence. It would appear that the court has vacated the sentence in effect at present. CCS is awaiting further confirmation of these hopeful developments before considering any ... Continue Reading>>
Malaysian Law Professor’s Remarks
On Crisis Lead to Sedition Charges
Azmi Sharom, an associate professor of law at the University of Malaysia Faculty of Law compared an ongoing political crisis to a situation in 2009 and criticised the secrecy with which the issue was treated. He is being prosecuted for sedition. CCS requested that to the extent his statements were made in respect to his professional competence as a legal scholar, the charges should be dropped as ... Continue Reading>>
In Response to CCS Letter, DOE’s IG Will Investigate James Doyle’s Firing
The Department of Energy's Inspector General will investigate whether James E. Doyle, a political scientist employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, had been fired in retaliation for publishing an article in which he differed with US Government policy concerning nuclear weapons. The Administrator of the National Nuclear Safety Administration of the Department, Frank G. Klotz, in his letter ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Urges NSF to Re-examine Charge Against Professor
Dr. Frances A. Córdova Director National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard, 1205 N Arlington VA 22230 Dear Dr. Córdova: We write now in concern for Dr. Valerie Barr. Barr, a Professor of Computer Science at Union College, was hired by NSF in 2013 for two years as program director in its Division of Undergraduate Education. A year later, according to ScienceInsider Magazine, she ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Joins International Outcry
At Life Sentence for Ilham Tohti
After a two-day trial closed to the public, Professor Ilham Tohti, an advocate for China’s Uighur minority, was sentenced to life in prison for “separatism,” a charge he denies. In addition, the court ordered all of his assets confiscated, leaving his family in severe economic distress. The trial appears to have denied him an opportunity for proper defense, according to his lawyers, and to be ... Continue Reading>>
Nobel Laureates Call for Release of Iranian Physicist : Nature News Blog
Eighteen Physics Nobel laureates have signed an open letter addressed to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling for the release of Omid Kokabee, a 32-year-old physicist who has spent the last 3 years and 8 months in a Teheran prison. The letter is a joint initiative by Amnesty International; the Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS), an international human-rights organization ... Continue Reading>>
Iranian Graduate Student’s Condition
Seriously Worsening in Prison
Omid Kokabee, an internationally recognized physicist serving a 10-year sentence in Iran, has not been allowed medical treatment outside Evin Prison despite his worsening kidney stone condition and stomach ailment, a source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Kokabee, 33, who has not been allowed furlough once in the four years since his incarceration (a customary practice ... Continue Reading>>
Professors Arrested in Egypt
According to news reports, Professors Mostafa Zidan and Magdy Khalifa were arrested in Egypt on charges of belonging to the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Both academics are on hunger strikes in protest of their conditions, including ill treatment and harsh conditions. The allegation of harsh treatment and the resulting hunger strikes seem to imply that rights have not been granted, rights which ... Continue Reading>>
Kokabee Denied Medical Care in Jail
Moved to Inhumane Prison Quarantine
Omid Kokabee, the graduate student at Texas University/Austin who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2011, has been denied medical care for kidney and stomach problems and was recently transferred to Evin Prison’s quarantine without basis, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. We reproduce the Campaign’s article of September 4, 2014 in full below. CCS has been ... Continue Reading>>