Natalia Sharina, a Russian librarian, was placed under house arrest for allegedly “inciting hatred” because the library contained books banned under Russian anti-extremism laws. Ms. Sharina was detained and may be tried as an attempt to intimidate librarians. The Committee of Concerned Scientists has written to President Putin requesting that he take all steps necessary to ensure that charges ... Continue Reading>>
Ecologist Aleksandr Kolchenko Tried in Russian Military Court and Found Guilty
Aleksandr Kolchenko, a Ukrainian Ecologist, was found guilty of organizing attacks against pro-Russian organizations and conspiring to destroy a statue of Lenin. CCS is requesting that his case be reviewed and retried in a civilian court. CCS is also requesting that his well-being be assured and he have access to his attorney and his family. October 1, 2015 Mr. Vladimir Putin President of ... Continue Reading>>
Scientists Protest Against Kremlin Threat to Research
Nick Holdsworth, University World News, 06/11 — Russian scientists and intellectuals mounted a rare public protest on 6 June to voice their fears that research and freedom of enquiry are under threat from the Kremlin. Several thousand protesters gathered in Moscow on Saturday 6 June to highlight growing red tape and President Vladimir Putin's fear-driven agenda that has seen a leading private ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Calls for Due Process and Investigation Of Criminal Charges of Russian Nuclear Scientist
Update 5/28/2015 We understand that Dr. Golubev was arrested on April 22, 2015. Dr. Vladimir Golubev, a nuclear scientist formerly employed by the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, denies criminal charges of revealing classified materials at an international conference in 2013. Dr. Golubev states that the materials were published in scientific outlets before his presentation. CCS calls ... Continue Reading>>
2014 Annual Report
During 2014, the Committee of Concerned Scientists continued to advocate on behalf of scientists, academics, engineers and physicians. We wrote in concern for more than 30 individuals or groups of individuals, located in 11 countries. We generally addressed our letters to the heads of state, as well as to the ministries or local authorities with jurisdiction over the case when we were able to ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Urges Reinstatement of Russian Scientist Punished for Attending Stony Brook Workshop
Four scientists at Russia's Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP) resigned in protest after their colleague Alexander Gorsky was fired for attending a workshop at Stony Brook University. As a condition for his attendance, where Gorsky was to deliver a paper published a year earlier, ITEP's administration allegedly demanded a cooperative agreement with Stony Brooks and a ... Continue Reading>>
Russian Winner of Sakharov Prize Writes Urging President Putin to Help Kokabee
Boris Altshuler, physicist and chairman of the NGO "Right of the Child", who won the 2013 Sakharov human rights prize together with Omid Kokabee, addressed a letter to President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, suggesting that he appeal to Dr. Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran, requesting Omid Kokabee's release from prison so that the latter can pursue his studies at the University of ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Protests the Beating of Activist and Physicist in Moscow
Dr. Lev Ponomarev, a prominent Russian physicist and human rights activist, was violently evicted from the offices of his organization, "For Human Rights," during a dispute over the lease. Ponomarev and five others were treated so roughly by security guards hired by the city of Moscow that they had to be treated at a first aid clinic. CCS protested the assault to Russian authorities, ... Continue Reading>>
Russian Physicist and Human Rights Activist Beaten at his Moscow Office
Russian physicist and human rights defender Lev Ponomarev was beaten up when he and his staff were violently evicted from the Moscow office of his organization For Human Rights on June 22. Dr. Ponomarev worked and published for many years in elementary particle physics at the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics in Moscow. He became involved in human rights and politics in the ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Urges Putin to Release Student Activist
CCS wrote a letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin in support of Yaroslav Belousov, a political science student who was arrested in June of 2012. His trial started recently in Moscow. According to press reports, Belusov was arrested while participating in an authorized protest demonstration. He has been in jail for a year and could be convicted of a sentence of up to 12 years. According to ... Continue Reading>>