The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) is asking Iranian scientists to apply their influence to free Omid Kokabee who is serving a 10-year prison sentence in Tehran for his refusal to participate in research related to Iran’s nuclear program, see Op-Ed on Omid Kokabee and Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Program. Earlier this year CCS wrote to Dr. Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Secretary of the Human ... 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>>
Kokabee Denied Medical Care in Jail
Moved to Inhumane Prison Quarantine
Omid Kokabee, the graduate student at Texas University/Austin who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2011, has been denied medical care for kidney and stomach problems and was recently transferred to Evin Prison’s quarantine without basis, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. We reproduce the Campaign’s article of September 4, 2014 in full below. CCS has been ... Continue Reading>>
CCS Co-sponsors Program on the Human Rights of Scientists in Iran
CCS is co-sponsoring a program on human rights in Iran with Amnesty International: Iran: Silencing Scientists and Squelching Scholarship Saturday November 16, 2013 3:00 to 5:00 pm Georgetown University ICC Auditorium 37th and O Street NW Washington, DC 20007 Panelists include: Dr. Eugene Chudnovsky, Co-Chair of the Committee of Concerned Scientists and Distinguished Professor of Physics ... Continue Reading>>
Highlights of 2013 Cases
During the past year, we have achieved some successes, and persevered in our struggle when we haven't. We welcomed some notable releases from jail – of Dr. Cyril Karabus in the United Arab Emirates, and of Drs. Kemal Guruz and Mehmet Haberal in Turkey. These were achieved after several years of advocacy by CCS and other science human rights organizations. The following summary of our ... Continue Reading>>
Omid Kokabee, Boris Altshuler
Win APS Andrei Sakharov Prize
Omid Kokabee, a University of Texas graduate student currently imprisoned in Iran, has been awarded the American Physical Society's 2014 Andrei Sakharov Prize, which recognizes outstanding leadership and achievements of scientists in upholding human rights. Kokabee will share the honor with Dr. Boris Altshuler of the Russian Federation. The prize carries $10,000 for each winner. The APS press ... Continue Reading>>
New Appeal for Omid Kokabee Details Specific Human Rights Law Violations
The Committee of Concerned Scientists endorses a new appeal on behalf of Texas University physics student Omid Kokabee, who is imprisoned in Teheran. CCS and many other human rights organizations have been advocating for his release since his arrest in 2011. The letters to Iranian and international officials (see below) were drafted by Ellen Hutchison, a student at Texas University/Austin, with ... Continue Reading>>