Photo credits: CEU
On June 17th, 2023, Endangered Scholars Worldwide learned that despite his pardon and release by the President of Egypt on July 29th, 2022, Ahmed Samir Santawy, a graduate anthropology student at the Central European University (CEU), has been placed under a travel ban. After being imprisoned for 18 months for his academic research on women’s reproductive rights and his alleged criticisms of the Egyptian government’s human rights violations, this travel ban has prevented Santawy from returning to CEU in Vienna and completing his studies. He has not been able to graduate with his master’s degree with his cohort. Read about our previous coverage of this case here.
Endangered Scholars Worldwide condemns the unlawful travel ban and incarceration of Santawy and other students, scholars, and researchers by Egyptian authorities, and joins CEU and Amnesty International in calling the Egyptian authorities to revoke this arbitrary travel ban on Ahmed Santawy. ESW calls on all international organizations devoted to the promotion of human rights and academic freedom to strongly demand the revocation of Santawy’s travel ban and call on the Egyptian authorities to respect and protect the right to freedom of movement.