CCS wrote to the King of Saudi Arabia, requesting a pardon for Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger who was sentenced to a 10-year prison term as well as weekly floggings for "insulting Islam through electronic channels." By subjecting Badawi to torture, Saudi Arabia violates agreements that it is party to: The UN Convention Against Torture and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. November 30, ... Continue Reading>>
Physicist and Human Rights Activist Narges Mohammadi Arrested Again in Iran
Narges Mohammadi, a physicist, engineer and human rights advocate has again been arrested for allegedly meeting with the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief while the EU official was visiting Iran. CCS is requesting that Ruhani examine the case and release Narges, particularly due to her life-threatening health conditions. October 28, 2015 Hasan Fereidun Ruhani President, The Islamic ... Continue Reading>>
Raif Badawi, Saudi Blogger, is Awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Raif Badawi, on October 29, was awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Badawi is a blogger from Saudi Arabia currently serving a prison sentence for insulting Islam on his website. Related articles Jailed, flogged Saudi blogger Badawi wins EU rights prize (washingtonpost.com) Sakharov Prize: nominations for 2015 unveiled (appablog.wordpress.com) ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Reminds Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping to Release Wang Yu, Li Heping and Ilham Tohti
Encouraged by China's recent release of Chen Kegui and Guo Yushan, CCS calls upon both Presidents to facilitate the release of Chinese Human Rights attorneys, Uighur Professor Ilham Tohti and others. ... Continue Reading>>
New York City Bar Association Writes President of China Addressing Arrests of Chinese Human Rights Lawyers
The President of the New York City Bar Association sends a letter requesting the release of the myriad of human rights attorneys who have recently been arrested in China. Download the NY Bar Assn Letter on Chinese Attorneys ... Continue Reading>>
China Arrests Two Human Rights Lawyers on Unspecified Charges
The Chinese Government arrested Li Heping, attorney for Chen Guangcheng, and Wang Yu, attorney for Ilham Tohti, for, as yet, unspecified charges. A general arrest of more than 225 Human Rights attorneys took place in China in mid-Spring this year. Many were detained, questioned, and some released. Li Heping and Wang Yu have not been released and their whereabouts are undisclosed. It is reported ... Continue Reading>>
Saudi Court of Appeals Upholds
Flogging Sentence of Blogger
The Committee of Concerned Scientists appeals to fellow academics to protest this offense against human rights, international law and every humane standard that would subject Raif Badawi to multiple floggings for the offense of expressing his opinion. Take Action: Sign the Petition June 10, 2015 Dr. John L. Hennessy President of Stanford University Building 10, Stanford CA 94305-2061 Dr. ... Continue Reading>>
Ilham Tohti, Arrested in January
Now Charged with Separatism
On July 30, prosecutors announced online that Ilham Tohti, a professor at Central Minorities University in Beijing, had been formally charged with separatism, a crime which carries a potential death penalty. Tohti, an economics professor of economics and advocate for the rights of the Chinese Uighur minority, was arrested on January 15, 2014 and held incommunicado until late June. Tohti's ... Continue Reading>>
Turkey Prosecutes Leaders of Organizations Involved in Gezi Protests, Scientists Included
Criminal trials have started against many of the organizations included in peaceful protests in 2011. Included are the leaders of associations of medical, engineering and architects. According to Amnesty International, the indictment charging these defendants does not contain any evidence of participation in or incitement to violence or any other criminal activity. CCS wrote to urge dismissal of ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Calls for Immediate Investigation of Assassination of Counsel in Blasphemy Case
After repeated threats called to the attention of Pakistani authorities, attorney and human rights advocate Rashid Rehman was assassinated on May 7, 2014. Rehman was defense counsel for Junaid Hafeez, an adjunct lecturer at the Bahuddin Zakariya University, who had been detained on blasphemy charges for over a year. CCS called for immediate investigation of the unknown assailants and further ... Continue Reading>>