Iranian-American sociologist Kian Tajbakhsh was able to celebrate the Persian New Year with his family on March 13 and on April 3 allowed to stay out of Evin prison longer. Tajbakhsh, who was sentenced to 15 years for espionage, had to post bail in the amount of $800,000. His sentence has been reduced to five years by an Iranian court of appeals. CCS and many human rights organizations and ... Continue Reading>>
Liu Xiaobo still imprisoned
Letter on behalf of Liu Xiaobo by Vaclav Havel, Pavel Landovsky, and Vaclav Maly Originally published in the Washington Post To His Excellency Hu Jintao President of the People's Republic of China Prague, Jan. 6, 2010 ... Continue Reading>>
Chinese economics professor fired
Professor Wang Quing Ying, a professor of economics at Guangdong University of Technology's Huali College, has been forced to resign from his teaching position under pressure from school authorities. Professor Wang is a signer of Charter 08, which called on China to respect the requirements of its own constitution, of China's international obligations, and of basic human rights. During a recent ... Continue Reading>>
Chinese professor sentenced to ten years in prison
On October 16, 2009, Sugian Intermediate People's Court in Jiangsu Province sentenced Professor Guo Quan, former Nanjing Normal University associate professor and former member of China Democratic League (one of the eight state-approved "democratic" parties) to ten years in prison for "subversion of state power." Between 2007 and 2008, Guo Quan published articles and an open letter on the Internet ... Continue Reading>>
Business student deported from Israel
Berlanty Azzim, a resident of Bethlehem, who says that she entered the West Bank on a valid visa in 2005, is a month away from completing her studies in business management at a West Bank university. At the end of October, she was stopped at a checkpoint by Israeli soldiers and deported to Gaza, on the grounds that as a holder of an identity card with a Gaza address she was in the West Bank ... Continue Reading>>
Iranian-American sociologist arrested
Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakshs, a sociologist and urban planner, was arrested in July 2009. An Iranian Revolutionary court convicted him in October of fomenting unrest against the government and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, although he denied all of these charges. We have now learned that Iran has brought new charges of espionage against Kian Tajbakhsh. Dr. Tajbakhsh was ... Continue Reading>>
Chinese activist imprisoned
On Monday, November 23, 2009, Huang Qui was sentenced to three years in prison for “illegal possession of state secrets” by the Chengdu Wuhou District Court, Sichuan Province, after being tried in a three-hour secret trial in August, 2008. Huang has been in detention since June, 2008. According to his wife, Zeng Li, his health has seriously deteriorated and he has been diagnosed with an abdominal ... Continue Reading>>
Ergenekon Trials in Turkey of Academics
Dr. Mehmet Haberal, an internationally respected transplant surgeon and rector of Bashkent University, and Dr. Ferit Bernay, a medical doctor and former rector of 19 Mayis University, are among 194 people who are on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the democratically elected government by violence -- serious charges that could lead to several life sentences In addition, 10 other ... Continue Reading>>
Spanish Government disqualifies Israeli Ariel University from Solar Decathlon Europe
The Spanish Housing Ministry has disqualified Ariel University Center of Samaria from competing in the finals of the international competition between university architecture departments to design and build a self-sufficient house using solar power. The Ariel University Center reached the finals together with 20 other universities from around the world after two years of collaboration with the ... Continue Reading>>
Iranian-American scholar arrested
Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakshs, a sociologist and urban planner with a doctorate from Columbia University, was arrested in July, 2009. An Iranian Revolutionary court convicted him on October 20 of fomenting unrest against the government and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. He was prosecuted with more than 100 other defendants in show trials after the election sparked protests. He has ... Continue Reading>>