In an urgent appeal to Egyptian leaders and authorities, the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) has circulated a letter demanding the release of several detained Egyptian scholars and students whose academic and civic freedoms were repeatedly violated by the state. In the last few years, the Egyptian court system has accused many academics of unsubstantiated, politically motivated charges that have resulted in their mistreatment and, in some cases, the deterioration of th

In a retrial on July 4th, Ahmed Samir Santawy, a master’s student at Central European University (CEU), was re-sentenced to three years in prison by an Egyptian State Security Emergency Misdemeanor Court on the charge of “spreading false news.” Santawy has been detained since February 2021 and has withstood unjust trials and punishments for his research, which focuses on women’s rights and reproductive rights in Egypt. His conviction was also prompted by social media posts in

On June 9th, the International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India) initiated a petition to the Chief Justice of India calling for the release of Professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba due to concerns over his worsening health and well-being that have been exacerbated by the prison system’s failure to provide appropriate treatment of his medical conditions. Professor Saibaba is a scholar of English literature, who was formerly employed at Delhi University. As a