New York, January 21, 2016 – This afternoon, a coalition of 20 higher education networks and associations from around the world have issued a joint public letter expressing grave concern over recent reports of widespread pressures on members of Turkey’s higher education and research community. Read the Letter The Committee of Concerned Scientists is one of the 20 organizations that co-signed ... Continue Reading>>
Scholars Who Signed Petition Detained in Turkey, Many Dismissed from Jobs
Turkish authorities rounded up scholars who signed a petition requesting the military to stop their behavior towards the Kurdish community in the south eastern part of the country. Universities also began dismissing the professors who had signed the petition. Those detained have now been released but they do face investigation and possible arrest. Many have already been dismissed from their ... Continue Reading>>
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>>
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>>
Criminal, Legal, and Administrative Restrictions Aim At Limiting Turkish Doctors in Aiding Injured Protesters
CCS joins international outcry at measures instituted in Turkey against doctors who set up emergency medical facilities to treat protesters injured during demonstrations last summer. Criminal prosecutions started in May, 2014, call for long jail sentences. Legislation and administrative measures punish emergency care taken without government oversight last summer, putting professionals in conflict ... 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>>
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>>
Court Hands Down Harsh Verdicts in Ergenekon Case: Drs. Haberal, Hilmioğlu, Gürüz get 13 to 23 Years
On August 5, 2013, the trial court in the five-year old Ergenekon trial, alleging that military officers and secularist allies planned an unsuccessful coup to overthrow the elected Islamic-leaning government, the High Criminal Court handed down severe sentences based on thousands of pages of indictments, based on trials described by international observers as lacking due process. Of the ... Continue Reading>>
International Human Rights Science Network Calls for Release of Eight Turkish Colleagues
In an extensive and thoroughly researched investigative report -- to be released in late August -- the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies calls on Turkey to drop all charges against scientists, engineers and doctors accused of terrorism-related crimes. These include Drs. Guruz, Haberal, Hilmioglu and others for whom CCS has advocated. The authors -- Nobel ... Continue Reading>>