Photo credit: Stella Ragas, Columbia Daily Spectator On Thursday, April 18, 2024, New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrested 108 protestors from Columbia University’s New York City campus after they were authorized to enter the campus by the school’s president, Minouche Shafik. The protestors that were targeted by the university and the police were gathered on the South Lawn of the university where they set up tents, calling the protest zone the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment”. In addition to the arrests, all students involved in the encampment who refused to leave by the Wednesday 9.00 pm deadline have been suspended. Columbia University students have been very active in organizing protests on campus since October 7 when Hamas launched an attack into Israel killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and taking more than 240 hostages. As the Israeli military operation on Gaza continues, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and 85% of the population has been displaced, which has led to increased student mobilization on campuses in the United States. Until now, the reactions of universities to this increased level of student mobilization have failed to keep tensions between administrations and student groups from rising. In November 2023, the Columbia University administration changed the guidelines for protests on campus without consulting any university-wide body that had student or faculty representatives.[1] The school then suspended two student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) from the campus for being violation of the new guidelines which introduced a 10-day notice requirement prior to “events” with 25 people or more.[2] Protest guidelines have been changed again under the “Interim University Policy for Safe Demonstrations”, which included input from the University Senate. While the new rules shorten the required advance notice from 10 days to 2 days, they have been criticized for limiting protest activity on campus to “demonstration zones”. Critics, which include students and free speech experts, have drawn attention to the limits these new guidelines place on academic freedom.[3] Presumably, it was the fact that the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” was in violation of these new protest rules which led President Shafik to suspend the students and authorize the NYPD to arrest them for trespassing[4] last Thursday, although the official statement did not list which rules the protesting students had violated.[5] The encampment consisted of a multitude of tents erected on the South Lawn of the Morningside Heights Campus. Hundreds of Columbia University students participated in the encampment and declared that they would not leave the area until its demands for divestment from companies with ties to the Israeli state and the military were met by the administration. In her official statement, President Shafik stated that the “encampment violates all of the new policies, severely disrupts campus life, and creates a harassing and intimidating environment for many of our students.” Some experts and students have disputed this claim and argued that the encampment does not obstruct access to any buildings and has been peaceful from the start, a claim even echoed by NYPD Chief John Chell, who also stated that “it was Shafik, not the NYPD, who identified the demonstration as a ‘clear and present danger.’ ”[6] All of the student protestors who were detained were later released while two affiliates who were detained earlier were arrested and charged. The released students have been issued summonses.[7] Students who were told they were suspended for taking part in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment have started to receive official notice of their suspension by late Friday. Listed reasons for students’ suspension included “disruptive behavior, violation of law, violation of University policy, failure to comply, vandalism or damage to property, and unauthorized access or egress”.[8] As the protests and the police present around the school continued over the weekend, President Shafik decided to cancel all in-person classes and moved them online for Monday, April 22 before announcing the same day that classes will be delivered in hybrid format until the end of the semester.[9] President Minouche Shafik’s decision to call the police and to allow the students to be arrested by came a day after she testified in a congressional hearing held by the U.S. House’s Committee on Education and the Workforce. The hearing was part of a series of hearings designed to investigate allegations of antisemitism on university campuses around the country. Previously, presidents of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) had testified before the same committee in December of 2023. Presidents of Harvard and UPenn resigned following reactions to their statements during the hearings. Similarly, Shafik’s statements also seem not to have convinced either the committee members or advocates of academic freedom. After the hearing, some committee members accused Shafik of lying during parts of her testimony, while the President of the American Association of University Professors stated that Shafik, “threw faculty and academic freedom under the bus”.[10] Shafik’s actions have also been criticized from within the university. In an e-mail addressed to Shafik, the faculty and student members of the executive committee of the University Senate stated that they did not approve of the decision to allow the NYPD on campus. The chairs of the committee later condemned the president’s decision.[11] The local branch of the Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, representing members from Columbia, Barnard College and Teachers College also condemned the decision and called for an “academic boycott of all events, including the commencement set to take place on May 15.[12] Other faculty members, in their statements to Inside Higher Ed also voiced their criticisms.[13] Similar encampments have been erected at other campuses like The University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, Boston University and Yale University in solidarity with Columbia students.[14] In New York City, students from New York University (NYU) and The New School have launched their own encampments, echoing the calls for divestment, and demanding guarantees of academic freedom and protection for protesting students.[15] While the situation in these campuses are still playing out and it is unclear what the universities’ response to them will be, the New York Timesreported that at least 60 protestors, 47 of which are students have been arrested at Yale University on Monday, April 22. Additionally, on the same day, more than 150 students and faculty members who were protesting on Gould Plaza on the Manhattan campus of NYU were arrested by the NYPD[16] at the request of the university administration.[17] Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) is deeply concerned with these violations of academic freedom perpetrated by university administrations as this wave of protests spreads to more and more campuses around the US. We call upon all universities to refrain from punishing students for engaging in acts of democratic self-expression on campuses with suspensions or arrests. University campuses should remain spaces in which academic freedom can be fully enjoyed by all members. We further call upon the members of the international community dedicated to upholding human rights globally to echo our calls to universities in the US to respect the academic freedom of students and faculty. Sources and further reading: [1] https://www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net/post/a-litmus-test-for-academic-freedom-the-impact-of-the-israel-palestine-crisis-on-u-s-universities [2] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/11/17/columbia-altered-policy-suspending-pro-palestinian-groups [3] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/03/07/columbias-protest-policy-less-stringent-last-iteration [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/nyregion/arrested-columbia-students-suspended.html [5] https://president.columbia.edu/news/statement-columbia-university-president-minouche-shafik-4-18 [6] https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/18/shafik-authorizes-nypd-to-sweep-gaza-solidarity-encampment-officers-in-riot-gear-arrest-over-100/ [7] https://www.columbiaspectator.com/city-news/2024/04/19/one-day-after-nypd-sweep-all-arrested-protesters-have-been-released-two-affiliates-face-charges/ [8] https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/19/columbia-begins-formally-notifying-students-of-suspension-for-participation-in-wednesdays-gaza-solidarity-encampment/ [9] https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/business/columbia-tensions-passover-virtual-classes/index.html [10] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/04/19/columbia-president-accused-throwing-profs-under-bus [11] https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/18/shafik-authorizes-nypd-to-sweep-gaza-solidarity-encampment-officers-in-riot-gear-arrest-over-100/ [12] https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/19/faculty-and-staff-for-justice-in-palestine-announce-boycott-of-commencement-other-events-until-demands-are-met/ [13] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/04/19/columbia-president-accused-throwing-profs-under-bus [14] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/22/israel-hamas-war-sparks-new-wave-campus-discord [15] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/22/us/campus-protests-columbia-yale [16] https://abcnews.go.com/US/150-arrested-new-york-university-amid-pro-palestinian/story?id=109525064 [17] https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2024/april/statement-by-nyu-spokesperson-on-gould-plaza-protest.html

Gujarat University, Ahmedabad. Photo credit: News24 On March 16th, 2024, fifteen international Muslim students were attacked by a Hindu-nationalist mob while praying on university grounds. The Muslim students were offering their nightly prayers after breaking their Ramadan  fast, at their on-campus housing at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. A mob of around 25 people entered the premises, brandishing knives and sticks, and shouting “Jai Shri Ram” [Hail Lord Ram]. At least 5 of the international students required medical attention and were hospitalized. The mob, reportedly, were angry that the students were praying in on-campus housing and not at a mosque. The students reiterated that since there were no mosques on campus nor nearby, they conducted their prayers where they lived. In addition to attacking the students, the mob also vandalized the students’ properties and ransacked their rooms. The international students, on scholarships offered by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) by the Government of India, hailed from various countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. At the time of the incident, the international student representative called officials responsible for the safety of international students and was told, “this is not our responsibility”. The police arrived and made no attempt to control the violent mob. The university downplayed the incident, framing it as “clash between two groups”. Instead of ensuring the safety of their students, the university issued new policies barring students from praying on campus. The Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University, Neerja Gupta, told the local media that the international students were the ones who needed “cultural sensitivity” training. Three weeks after the attacks, the international Afghan students were told to vacate their on-campus housing by Gujarat University. Since becoming the governing party in 2014, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), has increasingly promoted Hindu Nationalism. This is the one of the latest incidents in a series of Islamophobic hate crimes in India. The state of Gujarat, in particular, has a marred history of Hindu nationalists attacking Muslims, such as the 2002 communal riots. The riots resulted in over 1000 people dead, predominantly Muslims. Narendra Modi (now Prime Minister of India) was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time and had ordered the police not to stop the attacks. Endangered Scholars Worldwide condemns the Gujarat University’s response to the attacks and calls on the university to ensure the safety of its students while they practice their right to religious freedom. ESW further call upon the members of the international community dedicated to upholding human rights globally to join our call to hold the Indian government accountable to its commitments to uphold human rights, including freedom of religion, which it has guaranteed under international law. Sources and further reading: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/17/foreign-students-attacked-in-india-over-ramadan-prayer-at-university-hostel https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/gujarat-university-ramadan-foreign-students-attack-b2515542.html https://ca.news.yahoo.com/muslim-students-attacked-hindu-mob-114149433.html https://maktoobmedia.com/india/we-are-not-safe-foreign-students-say-after-hindutva-group-attacks-them-for-praying-taraweeh-at-hostel/ https://medium.com/@americanmuslimtoday/international-students-and-muslims-targeted-by-hindu-led-communal-violence-at-gujarat-university-1f6db3709804 https://maktoobmedia.com/india/three-weeks-after-hindu-mob-attack-gujarat-university-asks-7-afghan-students-to-vacate-hostel/

University of Tehran. Photo credits: Wikipedia On March 14, 2024, the Chancellor of Tehran University, Mohammad Moghimi, denied claims of mass expulsion of scholars based on their political beliefs. The university insisted that the dismissals are based on “moral issues”. This latest purge of scholars from campuses started under President Ebrahim Raisi and escalated after the nation-wide Women, Life, Freedom protests in Iran. The Women, Life, Freedom protests followed the murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police on September 16, 2022. Since then, campuses around the country have become centers of political demonstrations. Scholars who were dismissed, include Ali Sharifi-Zarchi, Somayyeh Sima, Bijan Abdul Karimi, Mohammad Fazeli, Arash Abazari, Ebrahim Bay Salami, and Azin Movahed. The crackdown on faculty who have shown support for the Women, Life, Freedom movement include detention, suspension, early retirement, salary reduction, and contract non-renewal. Fired faculty members, such as Ebrahim Bay Salami and Azin Movahed have challenged the denial by Chancellor Moghimi that the terminations are not political, as they themselves have witnessed and experienced the purge of academics following the 2022 uprising. Chancellor Moghimi has insisted that he is ready to debate any scholar who has claimed to be terminated for political reasons. Salmi and Mohaved have expressed a desire to engage and debate with the university admin, asking them to release their academic dossiers and disclose the decision-making process that led to their expulsion. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) is deeply concerned with the state of higher education and freedom of speech in Iran. ESW condemns the mass dismissals of scholars from the universities in Tehran University in addition to the 157 tenured professors around the country, which indicates that universities are following the state’s repression of critics and dissidents. ESW demands higher education institutions in Iran reinstate the expelled academics and ensure academic freedom for all members of the academic community. ESW further calls on all international organizations, academic and professional associations, and individuals dedicated to the promotion and defense of human rights to hold the Iranian government and higher education institutions to account. Read more on our coverage on Iran here. Sources and further reading: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403144349 https://iranwire.com/en/news/126435-tehran-university-controlled-by-security-forces-dismissed-professor-says/ https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403122286 https://iranwire.com/en/news/120008-dozens-of-professors-dismissed-in-two-years-of-raisis-rule/ https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-acadehttps://iranwire.com/en/news/120008-dozens-of-professors-dismissed-in-two-years-of-raisis-rule/mic-purge-aligns-universities-establishment https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403130101

Photo credit: Wikipedia On April 2, 2024, the Rectorate of the University of Cologne withdrew an earlier invitation sent to Prof. Nancy Fraser on the grounds that she has signed an open letter on an issue that is “very controversial in Europe and in Germany”. Nancy Fraser is the Henry and Louise A. Loeb Professor of Philosophy and Politics at the New School for Social Research. A leading political theorist, Fraser’s work is mostly focused on social and political theory, feminist theory, and contemporary French and German thought. On July 26, 2023, Fraser was invited to be the 2024 Albertus Magnus Professor in a letter written by Prof. Andreas Speer (Professor of Philosophy and director of the Thomas-Institut, University of Cologne), as a representative of the Rector and the Senate of the university. As part of the appointment as the Albertus Magnus Professor, Fraser was expected to give a series of open lectures and seminars over three days in the month of May. On March 28th, Speer informed Fraser in an e-mail that the office of the rector of the university, Joybrato Mukherjee, acting as the rector since October 26, 2023, wanted her to clarify her “position” regarding an open letter Fraser had signed. The open letter in question, titled “Philosophy for Palestine”, was published on November 1, 2023. In the letter, the signatories express solidarity with the people of Palestine, and contextualize the current crisis within the broader history of violence, occupation, and displacement in the region. Explicitly condemning the killing of civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, it calls for philosophers around the world to oppose the ongoing military operation of Israel in Gaza, and not be complicit in an “unfolding genocide”. The letter further acknowledges that in order for the lives of “all people currently living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean” to be protected, “conditions that produce violence must stop” (emphasis original). While the letter repeats that all civilian deaths are “unacceptable”, including those killed by Hamas on October 7, it calls on the Israeli government to take responsibility to change the conditions that produce violence. To this date, the letter has been signed by more than 400 academics from around the world. In her response, Fraser assured Prof. Speer that her lectures would not be related to the ongoing Israel/Palestine crisis and that she agreed with the statement of the Rector published on October 23, 2023, in which he wishes that “political discussions to continue to be conducted openly and respectfully on [their] campus”. However, on April 2, 2024, Fraser received an e-mail from the rector of the university, Prof. Mukherjee, stating that he is “forced to withdraw” his invitation to Fraser in light of the fact that she signed the “Philosophy for Palestine” open letter. Prof. Mukherjee did not disclose the reasons for the withdrawal of the invitation in the said e-mail. In a public statement released on April 5, 2024, by Critical Theory in Berlin, more than 70 academics criticized the withdrawal of the invitation to Fraser, noting that the university’s decision “[runs] the risk of being perceived both domestically and abroad as an attack on what a university should be”. According to Scholars At Risk, on January 7, 2024, the University of Cologne banned a student from the university campus, on grounds that the student might disrupt the talk of a guest speaker, the Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor. The ban was issued on the grounds that the student had liked a post on social media calling for a boycott of the event and that the same student had used or shared the slogan “from the river to the sea” in a social media post. The decision was later overturned by The Cologne Administration Court. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) is deeply concerned about the impact of the Israel/Palestine crisis on the academia in the West, especially in Germany. We call on the University of Cologne to uphold its commitments to ensure a free environment of political discussion within its campuses. ESW further calls on the university to reverse its decision to cancel the planned lectures to be delivered by Professor Fraser. Noting that universities should remain places where free and democratic intellectual exchange can foster, we call upon the members of the international community struggling for academic freedom and human rights around the world to join us in holding the University of Cologne accountable to its commitments to uphold “freedom, equality, democracy, diversity and tolerance”.[1] Sources and further reading: [1] https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/studying-teaching/teaching/mission-statement-teaching-and-learning

Photo credit: Duvar English On March 23, Nükhet Sirman, a prominent Professor of sociology was detained in Istanbul, Turkey by the police. Although the exact charges brought up against Sirman are not disclosed, the arrest is allegedly based on the field research she was conducting in Turkey’s southern province of Mersin. Sirman was detained by the police last Saturday from her house in Istanbul and taken to Mersin for questioning, the province where she was conducting her field research. Allegedly, Sirman was detained because one of her interviewees is currently under police surveillance. So far, the detainment period has been extended by a day and a confidentiality order has been placed on the case, which means that it is not currently known what Sirman is being charged with.[1] Sirman is a leading professor of sociology and has been a member of the Sociology Department of Boğaziçi University since 1989. She is a social anthropologist whose areas of interest include gender-based violence, feminist movements, sociology of kinship, nationalism and ethnic conflict, and postcolonial societies. Prof. Sirman is also one of the signatories of the Peace Petition, which was published by Academics for Peace in January 2016, and accused the Turkish government of violating the fundamental human rights of the Kurdish population of southeast Turkey during the conflicts with Kurdish armed groups in 2015-16.[2] Repressive practices have been increasingly directed towards academics critical of the government since the petition published by Academics for Peace, which led to hundreds of academics being fired from their jobs, having their passports cancelled, or being detained by the police.[3] Although the Constitutional Court ruled on July 26, 2019 that the academics’ freedom of speech had been violated and ordered for them to be returned to their jobs, many of the academics have yet to be reinstated.[4] In recent years, the state of academic freedom in Turkey has deteriorated significantly, with the Academic Freedom Index of the Varieties of Democracy Institute rating the country 165th among 180 countries. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) calls for the immediate release of Professor Nükhet Sirman from police detention. ESW further calls upon the Turkish government to respect the academic freedom of scholars in Turkey and stop ongoing rights violations against academics. We call upon the members of the international community dedicated to upholding human rights globally to join our call to hold the Turkish government accountable to its commitments to uphold human rights, which it has guaranteed under international law. Sources and further reading: [1] https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/03/25/turkish-authorities-detained-renowned-academic-anthropological-work/ [2] https://bianet.org/haber/academic-nukhet-sirman-detained-over-research-subject-under-police-surveillance-293411 [3] https://barisicinakademisyenler.net/node/1 [4] https://www.duvarenglish.com/despite-court-rulings-turkish-council-of-higher-education-refusing-to-reinstate-peace-academics-news-62778

Tehran University. Photo credits: Iran International On February 19th, 2024, Tehran University announced an increased presence of ‘Hijab enforcers’ on the campus, following the initial announcement of deploying ‘Hijab enforcers’ in November 2023. Within the first week of the announcement in November, more than 50 students were summoned to disciplinary committees, facing penalties ranging from verbal reprimands to suspension, for allegedly failing to comply with compulsory Hijab regulations. ‘Hijab enforcers’ are a group comprised of women who monitor and surveil female students, staff, and faculty for non-compliance with the national mandate and university regulations on religious dress codes. The Deputy of Cultural and Social Affairs of the University, Mehdi Shahbazi, has revealed the “Moral Charter” adopted by the university. The Charter’s aim is to enforce head coverings for all female students and faculty and enforce “serious measures” to be taken against those who defy the Hijab policy. The increased enforcement on mandatory Hijabs comes amid the wide-scale suppression of the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran. This latest move of deploying enforcers goes beyond having dress codes as it opens up women to harassment directly from the university. Reports also include denial of entry onto campus by security for those deemed to have violated the dress code. Students and faculty are increasingly facing suspension or expulsion as a result of these recent enforcements. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) stands in solidarity with those who strive for freedom and safety across the world and now especially with the protestors in Iran. ESW condemns the Iranian government’s deployment of Hijab enforcers on campuses to harass and discipline women and young girls for allegedly violating the religious dress code. Furthermore, ESW condemns the use of dress codes to prevent women from accessing their right to education. ESW calls upon all international organizations, academic and professional associations, and individuals dedicated to the promotion and defense of human rights to exert pressure on the Iranian government, compelling it to uphold its commitments under international human rights law and agreements. Sources and further reading: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240221131123760 https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402197787 https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-universities-hijab-enforcers/32670257.html

Photo Credit: PEN America The politically polarized atmosphere in the United States around reproductive rights following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had established access to abortion as a federal right, continues to have a serious impact on academic freedom. Especially in states with legislatures and governors that strongly oppose abortion, faculty are increasingly under pressure as colleges, facing threats like being sued or have their state funding taken away, act quickly to prevent professors from speaking about controversial issues. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) had recently covered the case of Tamara Kay, who was targeted with a campaign to oust her from her job at the University of Notre Dame. Kay was accused of promoting abortion after she posted signs on her office door about access to healthcare. The impact of this polarized atmosphere created by the overturning of Roe v. Wade has reached beyond the states with the toughest crackdowns on access to abortion. Melissa Goldberg, a lecturer at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. was fired from her position because the content of one of her classes was deemed unacceptable. On January 30, 2024 the university’s President Peter Kilpatrick, announced in a letter addressed to students and staff that after reviewing evidence on the content of Goldberg’s class, they decided to fire her because the material was not “consistent with [their] mission and identity as a faithful Catholic university”.[1] The class in question took place on January 23, 2024 when Goldberg invited Rachel Carbonneau, the director of an organization called “Family Ways” that provides doula services, to talk to her “Lifespan Development” class about her experiences.[2] According to Carbonneau’s statements to Inside Higher Ed, they had an open discussion about anything the students were interested in concerning  her work. During the discussion, one of the students asked about abortion. Another student in the classroom recorded Carbonneau’s statements about her experiences with abortion and then shared them with several conservative media outlets. As a consequence, Goldberg and Carbonneau started facing pressure within and outside of the university. Carbonneau even received death threats after the recording was made public. Goldberg was fired from her job after a week. PEN America criticized Goldberg’s dismissal and called it a “gross violation of academic freedom”.[3] They underlined that although, the Catholic University is not legally obligated to uphold the First Amendment within their campus as a religious university, this decision severely contradicts the university’s self-proclaimed commitment to upholding academic freedom.[4] Catholic University of America is also on the censure list of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).[5] The 1990-dated censure was issued because the university placed restrictions on the teachings of one of its faculty members following pressure from the Vatican.[6] As polarization over highly contested issues such as abortion and reproductive rights remains high in the United States, it can only be expected that universities will continue being impacted. ESW calls on all university administrations in the US to uphold the right of all faculty members to freely teach and disseminate their work. Furthermore, we call upon the Catholic University of America to reinstate Goldberg to her position. It is the responsibility of university administrations to ensure universities remain places of free knowledge production and public debate. Sources and Further Reading: [1] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/institutions/religious-colleges/2024/02/20/catholic-university-fires-instructor-over-speakers [2] https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/report/2024-01-30-catholic-university-of-america/ [3] https://pen.org/press-release/firing-of-catholic-u-lecturer-over-guest-speakers-abortion-comments-called-punitive-and-drastic/ [4] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/02/23/pen-america-calls-catholic-u-reverse-firing [5] https://www.aaup.org/our-programs/academic-freedom/censure-list [6] https://www.aaup.org/report/academic-freedom-and-tenure-catholic-university-america

Rocío San Miguel. Photo credit: NBC News Rocío San Miguel, a human rights activist, lawyer, and scholar, was detained by Venezuelan authorities on February 9 at the airport of the capital city, Caracas. For four days after her arrest, neither her whereabouts, nor those of some of her family members who were detained alongside her, could be confirmed. The early days of San Miguel’s arrest followed the pattern of forced disappearances, not uncommon in Venezuela.[1] On February 13, San Miguel’s lawyers confirmed that she was under arrest and was being held at the Helicoide prison, which is notorious for its history of brutality, mistreatment, and high number of political prisoners.[2] Venezuelan authorities announced that she was being held under charges of treason, conspiracy, and terrorism.[3] Having previously held academic positions at institutions like The Metropolitan University at Caracas and the Central University of Venezuela teaching law and human rights, San Miguel is now heading the non-governmental organization “Citizen Control” (Control Ciudadano), which reports on human rights issues such as police brutality and extrajudicial killings by the armed forces. Rocío San Miguel also specializes in international law, and has been a critic of the Venezuelan government and its lack of commitment to upholding human rights, especially in relation to the Rome Statute.[4] The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court, which is tasked with investigating and prosecuting individuals suspected of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. Venezuela ratified the treaty on June 7, 2000. Members of the international community have spoken out against the arrest of San Miguel. United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the arrest in a statement made over the social media platform X, suggesting the possibility that the arrest constitutes a case of forced disappearance.[5] In response to this statement, the Venezuelan government shut down the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and told staff to leave within 72 hours.[6] The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also denounced the decision in a public statement on social media.[7] In recent years, academics who have spoken out against the authoritarian regime in Venezuela have been similarly repressed. Cases include that of Santiago Guevara, who was arrested on March 3, 2017 under charges of treason and incitement to rebellion, after writing opinion pieces on economic and political conditions in Venezuela in a Spanish newspaper.[8] The level of academic freedom in Venezuela is amongst the lowest in the region, ranking the third-worst country after Nicaragua and Cuba in the Academic Freedom Index of the Varieties of Democracy Institute. Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) is deeply concerned about the state of human rights and academic freedom in Venezuela. We join the members of the international community in the condemnation of the arrest of Rocío San Miguel. ESW further calls upon the Venezuelan government to immediately release San Miguel and end the prosecution and persecution of critical voices including academics. Sources and Further Reading: [1] https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AMR5377072024ENGLISH.pdf [2] https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-human-rights-rocio-san-miguel-maduro-8bbedf6c90283247b731fe529a4bed81 [3] https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/incommunicado-detention-woman-human-rights-defender-rocío-san-miguel [4] https://derechosuniversitarios.org/2024/02/14/detention-of-venezuelan-professor-and-human-rights-defender-rocio-san-miguel-also-violates-academic-freedom-and-democracy/ [5] https://twitter.com/UNHumanRights/status/1757307231614202368 [6] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/15/venezuela-closes-un-human-rights-office [7] https://twitter.com/cidh/status/1757157849153589756 [8] https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/2017/03/sar-calls-venezuelan-economists-release/

Photo Credit: France 24 Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) mourns the death of the courageous Russian dissident, Alexei Navalny who died on February 16, 2024 in a penal colony near the arctic circle where he was imprisoned. Navalny was a fearless critic of Vladimir Putin and his increasingly authoritarian regime, exposing its corruption and condemning the invasion of Ukraine. He had been imprisoned since February of 2021 where he had been subjected to torture and repeated periods of solitary confinement. In August 2020, in an earlier effort to silence and kill him, Navalny had been poisoned with the nerve agent, Novichok. ESW mourns the loss of this great hero and condemns the ongoing authoritarian rule in Russia.

Photo Credit: CNN On February 5, 2024, a court in Beijing, China handed down a suspended death sentence to Chinese-Australian writer, journalist, and scholar Yang Hengjun. A suspended death sentence refers to an automatic conversion to 25 years or life in prison following two years of “good behavior”. Dr. Yang was first detained by the Chinese authorities on January 23, 2019, on espionage charges during a visit back to China from the United States with his family. Since then, Dr. Yang has been detained despite needing medical attention for his deteriorating health.[1] In May of 2021, he was tried in a secret one-day trial in which the verdict was not released to the public.[2] To this day, details of the charges have not been made public, including which country he was convicted of spying for. Dr. Yang denies the espionage claims. Dr Yang began his career as an officer for the Chinese state and eventually moved on to cultivating an online follower base both on his blogging website and WeChat where he advertised for his classes, some of which were on living and studying in Western countries, and others covering his “thoughts on history, economics, culture and politics.[3] In his writings and blog posts, Dr. Yang has openly criticized the Chinese government for violating human rights. At the time of his arrest, Yang was a visiting scholar at Columbia University, New York. Although he had reportedly avoided directly targeting the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in his recent statements and texts, he was still targeted by the Chinese authorities. His friends and family believe that Dr. Yang is being persecuted for his advocacy for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The head of the Human Rights Watch in Asia, Elaine Pearson, has also voiced opposition to the ruling and the arbitrary detention of Dr. Yang.[4] Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) has been monitoring the political persecution of academics within People’s Republic of China. Dr. Yang’s case parallels that of other academics, especially those of Uyghur descent and those criticizing the policies of the Chinese government towards the Uyghur people, who have also been subject to unjust death and life sentences. Examples include Rahile Dawut, a scholar of Uyghur folklore, who has been detained at least since 2019 for endangering state security.[5] According to a 2021 report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project, at least 312 Uyghur intellectuals including students, scholars and writers remain incarcerated in the Xinjiang region.[6] Aside from directly targeting dissident academics, the Chinese government has also been tightening its grip over universities, in open violation of the principle of university autonomy. According to a recent article published by Times Higher Education, the CCP has been increasing its direct control over universities by merging university administrations with Party Committee Offices. Some academics with experience in teaching at Chinese universities have asserted that this fusion between party committees and university administrations already existed in reality, with decisions being taken in common between the two offices. In some universities like Peking and Tsinghua University, the office of party secretary and university president have been occupied by the same person.[7] Nevertheless, it is still significant that the Chinese government is giving up on even the most symbolic gestures of commitment to academic freedom and university autonomy. This means that centralized control over universities will likely increase in the near future, posing further limitations on academic freedom. ESW is deeply concerned with the increasing pressure placed on academics and universities campuses and condemns the ongoing human rights violations in China including the repression of free speech and restrictions on academic freedom. We call upon the Chinese judiciary and government to immediately release Dr. Yang Hengjun and all other academics who remain unjustly imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression. ESW further calls upon all international organizations, academic and professional associations, and other groups and individuals devoted to promoting and defending human rights to protest and condemn the continued abuse of scholars and researchers by the Chinese authorities. Sources and Further Reading: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-yang-hengjun-handed-suspended-death-sentence-by-beijing-court-2024-02-05/ [2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/05/australian-academic-yang-hengjun-given-suspended-death-sentence-by-chinese-court-writer-wong [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/world/asia/yang-hengjun-detained-china.html [4] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-yang-hengjun-handed-suspended-death-sentence-by-beijing-court-2024-02-05/ [5] https://duihua.org/life-sentence-for-professor-rahile-dawut-confirmed/ [6] https://www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net/post/the-disappearance-of-uyghur-intellectuals-and-cultural-elites [7] https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/what-will-newly-increased-party-control-mean-chinas-universities

Boris Kagarlitsky. Photo credits: Amnesty International On February 13th, 2024, Russian sociologist and activist Boris Kagarlitsky was sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine. Kagarlitsky was arrested in July 2023 by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of “justifying terrorism”. He was found guilty in December and was originally fined $6,700 and given no prison time. The charges are based on Kagarlitsky’s social media activity following the Crimean Kerch Bridge attack in October 2022. The prosecution appealed the original verdict and Russia’s Military Court of Appeal sentenced him to five years in a penal colony. This severe verdict reflects Russia’s continued crackdown on the remaining dissident voices in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Amnesty International, Russian authorities have grown increasingly hostile in their treatment of Kagarlitsky and other critics. For instance, in May 2022, Kagarlitsky was declared a “foreign agent” for being an open critic of the war in Ukraine. In reference to this severe prison sentence, Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Director for Russia has said the “verdict is a blatant abuse of vague anti-terrorism legislation” and that by targeting Boris Kagarlitsky, a prominent academic, “the Russian authorities are showing, once again, their relentless assault on all forms of dissent.” Endangered Scholars Worldwide condemns the sentencing of Boris Kagarlitsky and other critics of the war in Ukraine and of the Russian government, including scholars, activists, and journalists. ESW further calls upon all international organizations, academic and professional associations, and individuals dedicated to the promotion and defense of human rights to protest Kagarlitsky’s sentencing and demand his immediate release. Read our previous coverage of Boris Kagarlitsky here. Further reading and sources: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/russia-anti-terrorism-legislation-misused-to-punish-activist-boris-kagarlitsky/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/13/boris-kagarlitsky-kaja-kallas-russia/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-court-toughens-sentence-sociologist-hands-him-5-years-prison-2024-02-13/

Florida Governor DeSantis. Source: ABC News On January 24th 2024, the Board of Education in Florida removed a sociology core course as an option to fulfill general education requirements in all Florida public universities. Over 430,000 students can no longer take the class “Principles of Sociology” to fulfill their general requirements. The decision was passed at the last minute, through the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Florida Board of Governors, bypassing the opinion of the faculty committee appointed by Governor DeSantis. The course covered various topics that have been targeted by Florida conservatives, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. The American Sociological Association has called for an immediate reversal of the decision, due to a lack of any evidentiary basis and a misunderstanding of the discipline. This latest anti-education moves follow a series of similar actions in Florida, including banning the use of public funds for Diversity, Enquiry, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in Florida universities and colleges. Since 2023, 65 cases of Anti-DEI legislation by Republican politicians have been introduced in 25 states and the U.S. Congress. In Florida it was signed into law on February 2023 by Governor Ron DeSantis, following the Stop WOKE Act in 2022, restricting how history is taught in schools. The Education Commissioner, Manny Díaz has said sociology is “hijacked by leftwing activists”. Anne Barrett, a sociology professor at Florida State University worries that the removal of the course would result in enrollments dropping and overall weakened sociology departments across universities, leading to layoffs and department eliminations. Endangered Scholars Worldwide condemns the removal of sociology courses for general education requirements at public universities. ESW joins the American Sociological Association in demanding an immediate reversal of the decision. ESW further is deeply concerned with DeSantis government’s conservative, anti-democratic, exclusionary agenda for higher education in Florida and the long-term implications of restrictions on higher education and freedom of speech, including the risk to informed debate and critical thinking. Read more on our Florida coverage here. Sources and further reading: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/26/florida-sociology-classes-ron-desantis-condemned https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/latest-target-floridas-culture-wars-sociology https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/01/25/florida-sociology-core-course-removal/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/us/florida-universities-sociology.html