Omar Kiswani, the student council president at Birzeit University in the West Bank, was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers in early March. He was held at a detention center for a month without a charge nor access to an attorney. On April 2nd he was allowed an attorney visit. CCS has written the Israeli Minister of Justice requesting that Kiswani be charged or released April 28, 2018 Ayelet ... Continue Reading>>
US Scientist Leaves US After Petty Felony Conviction
Chunzai Wang, an expert on climate change and hurricanes, had been employed at NOAA for the past 17 years. Dr. Wang is a naturalized US citizen. He won the Employee of the Year Award at NOAA in 2012 and a second award at NOAA in 2013. Wang was accused of supplementing his income without notifying his supervisor when he spoke at scientific conferences in China while on annual leave. He was paid a ... Continue Reading>>
Thai Professor Arrested for Facebook Post
On a recent trip to the United States, a picture of the Prime Minister and his wife appeared in the press. The picture showed the wife of the Prime Minister carrying a very expensive purse. Professor Charnvit Kasetsiri shared that post on Facebook. He will be prosecuted under the Computer Crimes Act and faces up to five years in prison and a fine. April 26, 2018 Chakthip ... Continue Reading>>
Founder of HR Website Detained for Allegedly “Leaking State Secrets”
Huang Qi, a computer engineer in China, has been detained since November 2016. He was arrested allegedly for his role as founder of a human rights focused website, 64 Tianwang. He established the website over 20 years ago but has been recently accused of “leaking state secrets.” He has not, as yet, been charged and legal documents have not been shared with Huang or his lawyer. He reports he is ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Asks New Saudi King to Reconsider Badawi Case
Crown Prince Salman has become the new King of Saudi Arabia with a more progressive view of government and his country. With this in mind, the Committee of Concerned Scientists have approached the new King requesting that he review the Badawi case and consider dropping his charges and releasing him from confinement. The King’s views are much more in line with the views that Badawi was ... Continue Reading>>
2018 Sakharov Prize Winner Sends Speech to the American Physical Society Ceremony
Narges Mohammadi, the recipient of the 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize, sent her acceptance speech to the Conference when it was awarded to her on April 15, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio by the American Physical Society. She was unable to attend, as she is still confined in an Iranian prison. Mohammadi was dismissed from her job and imprisoned for advocating for women's and human rights. Mohammadi has ... Continue Reading>>
Raif Badawi Awarded Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism by the Los Angeles Press Club
Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabian blogger, imprisoned since 2012 for "insulting Islam," will be recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club with the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism. His wife will accept this award for him on June 24. The Press Club President, Chris Palmeri, said the press club is demanding Badawi's immediate release. There is also new hope for Badawi as ... Continue Reading>>
Ahmadreza Djalali Writes Plea to Iranian International Deputy for Chief Justice Secretary of High Council for Human Rights
Dr. Djalali, a physician and academician in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, has written to Mohammad-Javad Larijani requesting that he review his case, review all of the documents presented, meet with the defense witnesses and withdraw the charge of "Seditious on Ground," and remove the death penalty that was handed down by Judge Salavati. The letter sent to Dr. Larijani follows: To the ... Continue Reading>>
The Situation Worsens In Turkey for Academics
Prior to the coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, many academics in Turkish universities jointly signed a statement called "The Peace Petition," requesting the government end the violence and open the way to dialogue and a lasting peace. Shortly thereafter the attempted coup took place and there was a large round-up of suspected persons involved. The signors of the Peace Petition were thrown ... Continue Reading>>
The Science Academy of Turkey Issues Statement on Freedom of Speech and Science
The Bilim Akademisi, the Turkish Science Academy, issued a statement noting its concerns on the growing restraints on freedom of speech and freedom of science presently in Turkey. Their statement follows: The Science Academy Statement on Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Science, February 2018 The Science Academy sees it necessary to publicly express once again its concerns on the ... Continue Reading>>