After a strong statement by Dr. Mohammad Javad Larijani, a highly placed Iranian official, on the importance of science to the Islamic Republic, CCS requests his assistance in obtaining a pardon for Omid Kokabee. As we had before, we emphasize Kokabee's poor health in prison and the Iranian supreme court's assertion of his innocence. ... Continue Reading>>
Iran’s Support for Science Might
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>>
Iranian Appeals Court Upholds
Kokabee’s Ten-year Sentence
In a surprising setback for efforts to free imprisoned Iranian physicist Omid Kokabee an appeals court in Iran rejected th opinion of its supreme court and reaffirmed his ten-year prison sentence. There was no explanation of this ruling and it is unclear whether Kokabee will be able to appeal. We will continue to advocate for Kokabee in spite of this disappointment. Related articles Young ... Continue Reading>>
Iranian Students Around the World Demand Medical Attention, Due Process for Kokabee
In a statement of solidarity with Omid Kokabee, 161 Iranian PhD students and graduates released an open letter demanding medical attention and due process for the imprisoned physics student. The signers included students from Tehran's Sharif University of Technology, MIT, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and Columbia, including several winners of International Science Olympiad ... 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 in Belgium Sentenced for Scholarship Funding
In a repeat of the arrest, prosecution, and sentencing of Omid Kokabee, Hamid Babaei, an industrial engineering student in Belgium, was arrested as he attempted to return to his studies at the University of Liege. He was sentenced to six years in prison for communicating with a hostile government, apparently on the basis of his scholarship funding. CCS wrote to protest this charge, that Babaei ... Continue Reading>>
Responding to CCS, UN Working Group Finds Iranian Detention of Amouee Arbitrary
Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, an economist and journalist, was arrested and imprisoned in June 2009 for alleged anti-state activities and was sentenced to seven years and four months imprisonment and 34 lashes. On January 27, 2014, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion, based in part on information provided by CCS, requesting the Iranian government release Amouee ... Continue Reading>>
2013 Annual Report
Summaries of 2013 Cases The Committee of Concerned Scientists advocated for sixteen individuals or groups during 2013 in ten countries. This reduced caseload enabled us to focus on several individual cases in which CCS had taken the lead and fostered cooperation with other human rights organizations. We were also able to cover events concerning human rights issues that were germane to our cases ... Continue Reading>>
A New Joint Petition for Omid Kokabee
CCS urges those who support the human rights of scientists to sign this petition created by Free Omid, with the support of Amnesty International, and the Committee of Concerned Scientists. It was set up with the aim of combining the efforts of institutions, organizations and every single supporter of Omid Kokabee's into a unique petition. It advocates his unconditional release from prison and will ... Continue Reading>>
Iran’s Human Rights Violations
Detailed in Two Public Presentations
Iran: Silencing Scientists and Squelching Scholarship A November 16, 2013 open meeting in Washington DC Iran: Silencing Scientists and Squelching Scholarship, organized by: Amnesty International, Georgetown University Amnesty International, and the Georgetown University Science and Human Rights Group, was moderated by Jessica Wyndham of the AAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law ... Continue Reading>>