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AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Action Alerts

The AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program calls attention to human rights abuses involving scientists and scientific communities through the circulation of Action Alerts issued by professional associations on behalf of their colleagues or by human rights organizations.

Cases that are publicized through the Action Alerts are researched and developed by the association or organization that submits the call for action. The alerts provide important background information on the case(s), and recommend specific actions to support the victim(s) of human rights abuse. The Action Alerts reach hundreds of AAAS members and other concerned scientists and engineers who are a part of SRHRL's network.

2011 Action Alerts

From:	Scholars at Risk Network
Re:	Call for Letters on Behalf of Professor Masaud Jahromi of Bahrain
Date:	December 20, 2011

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned for Professor Masaud Jahromi, Chairman of Telecommunication Engineering Department at Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities to intervene to ensure that his [December 22nd] hearing is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, in accordance with Bahrain's obligations under international law.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of over 270 universities and colleges in 33 countries dedicated to promoting academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and travel. In cases like that of Professor Jahromi, involving alleged infringement of these freedoms, Scholars at Risk intervenes hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Background

Professor Masaud Jahromi holds a PhD in Telecommunication Networking from University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, and he is the former Chairman of the Telecommunication Engineering Department at Ahlia University.... Professor Jahromi was arrested and taken from his home at 2:30 am on April 14, 2011 and was imprisoned for five months. According to reports, on the night of his arrest, the police broke into his house in the middle of the night, threatened and harassed members of his family, confiscated the family's laptops, and beat Professor Jahromi before taking him away to an undisclosed location. According to information Scholars at Risk received, while in prison, Professor Jahromi was denied access to his family, much needed medical care (as he suffers from hepatitis C) and legal counsel for extended periods of time. He was suspended from his position at the university. Initially held without charge, four months’ after his arrest he was charged with “participation in an unauthorized rally". Reports suggest the charges relate to his peaceful exercise of his right to free expression and assembly. Professor Jahromi was released on bail on September 12, 2011, pending trial on December 22, 2011. He remains suspended from the university.

Absent any additional or contrary information, the facts as described appear to constitute violations of internationally recognized human rights and standards of due process, fair trial and detention, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain has acceded. Taking into account reported arrests of scholars in Bahrain following the pro democracy protests in February and March, Professor Jahromi's detention suggests a wider attempt to intimidate intellectuals in Bahrain - a suggestion Scholars at Risk finds particularly distressing and unfortunate given the recent manifestations of public discontent in the region, which appear to warrant more rather than fewer exchanges and discussions among states, intellectuals and the public.

Especially in light of the recent report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which included in Chapter VII, Section C findings of inappropriate restrictions on freedom of expression at university campuses, Scholars at Risk respectfully urges the appropriate authorities to intervene in Professor Jahromi's case. SAR urges authorities to ensure that the hearing is addressed in a manner consistent not only with the Commission's findings but with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, in accordance with Bahrain's obligations under international law.

Take Action

Scholars at Risk invites letters, emails and faxes be sent:

-respectfully urging authorities to ensure that Bahrain’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Professor Jahromi; and

-respectfully urging authorities to intervene in his case and to ensure his well-being-including regular access to family, to legal counsel of his choosing and to medical treatment-pending his earliest release.

PLEASE WRITE TO:

His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P.O. Box 547
Government Road
Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain
Email to: info@mofa.gov.bh
Fax to: +973 1-753-6343

COPIES TO:

His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa
King of Bahrain
Office of His Majesty the King
P. O. Box 555
Rifa’a Palace, Kingdom of Bahrain
Fax: + 973 1-766-8884

His Excellency Dr. Majid Bin Ali Al Nuaimi
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education Building
Al Istiklal Street
P.O. Box 43
Isa City
Kingdom of Bahrain
Fax: +973 1-768-7866
Email: moe.relations@bahrain.gov.bh

Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni
Commission Chair
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI)
Email: outreach@bici.org.bh

The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton
United States Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520, USA

The Right Honorable William Hague
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
United Kingdom

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to [YOUR COUNTRY]
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

(See right-hand column at http://www.mofa.gov.bh/Default.aspx?tabid=75&language=en‑US for a list of Bahraini embassies worldwide.)

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of [YOUR COUNTRY] to the Kingdom of Bahrain
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer St., 4th floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
Fax: +1 212 995-4402
Email: scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu

From:	The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS)
Re:	Petition for the release of Drs. Haberal and Hilmioglu from prison in Turkey
Date:	November 26, 2011

The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) urges scientists, academics, physicians and all others who are concerned with human rights to sign a petition on the CCS website (concernedscientists.org) for the release of Drs. Haberal and Hilmioglu for health reasons pending the outcome of their trials. This petition is sponsored by the Committee of Concerned Scientists - an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

Background

In October of 2009, CCS wrote in concern about Drs. Mehmet Haberal and 11 other doctors and academics under indictment in Turkey. CCS has learned that most of the arrested academics have been released on bail. However, two of those on our list are still being held: Dr. Mehmet Haberal, the rector of Baskent University in Ankara, who pioneered transplant surgery in Turkey, and Dr. Fatih Hilmioglu, a gastroenterologist, former rector of Inonu University in Malatya. CCS urges the release of Drs. Haberal and Hilmioglu for health reasons pending the outcome of their trial.

The two have now been detained for almost three years. Turkish law allows indicted individuals to be kept in long-term detention only if there is a danger that they might either destroy evidence or flee - not likely in this case. Drs. Haberal and Hilmioglu have been in state custody since their arrests in April 2009; however, because both were suffering from ill-health, they were held in hospitals where they reportedly were receiving medical attention. Both men were subsequently transferred back to prison. Since then, their health reportedly took a turn for the worse. Dr. Hilmioglu suffers from cirrhosis of the liver and reportedly is gravely ill. Dr. Haberal has angina, cardiac arrhythmia, and severe anxiety and depression.

CCS is concerned that these academics and doctors appear to be on trial solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and of association. CCS is also concerned that such extensive detention without bail deprives defendants of their rights under Turkish and international law, which require such a trial to be held within a reasonable time. Finally, almost three years in detention pending trial, especially under these circumstances, surely exceed any limitations in the Turkish constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Take Action

You can view and sign the petition for the release of Drs. Haberal and Hilmioglu, on the CCS website at: http://concernedscientists.org/2011/11/petition-for-the-release-of-drs-haberal-and-hilmioglu-from-prison-in-turkey/

From:	Scholars at Risk Network
Re:	Call for Letters on Behalf of Mr. Ramin Zibaei of Iran
Date:	October 31, 2011

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned for Mr. Ramin Zibaei, a scholar of psychology and dean at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) in Tehran. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities to intervene to ensure Mr. Zibaei’s well-being and access to family and counsel in custody; to ensure that he receives a fair and timely appeal hearing; to ensure that that any convictions or sentences related to his academic activities or association with the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education are reconsidered; and to reaffirm Iran’s commitment to its long tradition of intellectual freedom and quality higher education for all.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of over 260 universities and colleges in 33 countries dedicated to promoting academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and travel. In cases like that of Mr. Zibaei involving alleged infringement of these freedoms Scholars at Risk intervenes hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Background

According to the information SAR has received, Mr. Zibaei completed a Master’s level program in psychology at BIHE and has taught extensively at the institute over 8 years, holding positions as member of the psychology department and dean of social science faculty. In May 2011, he and more than a dozen staff and faculty members of the BIHE were arrested. We understand that he has been held since, and that since his arrest Mr. Zibaei has been denied access to legal counsel and family. Current reports indicate also that Mr. Zibaei was sentenced recently to four years in prison on charges related to his academic activities at BIHE.

Absent any additional or contrary information, the facts as described appear to constitute violations of academic freedom and other internationally recognized human rights and standards of due process, fair trial and detention, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is signatory. Taking into account also the reported arrests and prison sentences against other Baha’i scholars and the apparent targeting of the BIHE community, the facts suggest an attempt to exclude Baha’i individuals from higher education opportunities in Iran, and raise serious concerns about a wider campaign to limit the ability of intellectuals and scholars generally to work freely in Iran.

Scholars at Risk finds these suggestions particularly distressing and unfortunate, given Iran’s rich intellectual history and traditional support for the values of scholarship and free inquiry. We therefore join with many national and international academic associations, human rights organizations and individual scholars in respectfully urging appropriate authorities to ensure that Iran’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Mr. Zibaei, his colleagues at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) and other intellectuals in Iran. We respectfully ask that authorities intervene to ensure Mr. Zibaei’s well-being and access to family and counsel in custody; to ensure that he receives a fair and timely appeal hearing; to ensure that that any convictions or sentences related to his academic activities or association with the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education are reconsidered; and to reaffirm Iran’s commitment to its long tradition of intellectual freedom and quality higher education for all.

Take Action

Scholars at Risk invites letters, emails and faxes be sent:

-respectfully urging authorities to intervene to ensure Mr. Zibaei’s well-being and access to family and counsel in custody;

-respectfully urging authorities to ensure that he receives a fair and timely appeal hearing;

-respectfully urging authorities to ensure that that any convictions or sentences related to his academic activities or association with the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education are reconsidered; and

-respectfully urging authorities to reaffirm Iran’s commitment to its long tradition of intellectual freedom and quality higher education for all.

PLEASE WRITE TO:

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o H.E. Mr. Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
662 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017, USA
Email: iran@un.int
Fax: +1 (212) 867-7086

COPIES TO:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh
(Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. (south of Serah-e Jomhouri)
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir or info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

The Honorable Hillary Clinton
United States Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA

Bahai International Community
United Nations Office
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120
New York, NY 10017 USA
Fax: +1 212-803-2566
Email: nyc@bic.org

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to [YOUR COUNTRY]
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]
(See http://www.mfa.gov.ir/cms/cms/Tehran/en/Missions/ for a list of Iranian embassies worldwide.)

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of [YOUR COUNTRY] to the Islamic Republic of Iran
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer St., 4th floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
Fax: +1 212 995-4402
scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu

To view a model letter of appeal, as well as a copy of SAR's letter (and previous letter regarding Mr. Zibaei), please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts-Scholars-in-Prison.php.

From:	Scholars at Risk Network
Re:	Call for Letters on Behalf of Mr. Ramin Zibaei of Iran
Date:	August 30, 2011

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is gravely concerned about Mr. Ramin Zibaei, a scholar of psychology and dean at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education in Tehran, who has been arrested and detained for several months. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities intervene by reexamining his case and, pending his earliest release, by ensuring his well-being, including access to family, legal representation of his choosing and medical treatment.

Scholars at Risk is an international network of over 260 universities and colleges in 33 countries dedicated to protecting the human rights of scholars around the world and to raising awareness, understanding of, and respect for the principles of academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of expression, opinion, thought, association and travel. In cases like Mr. Zibaei's involving alleged infringement of these freedoms, SAR investigates hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Background

Scholars at Risk has learned that Mr. Ramin Zibaei was one of over a dozen staff and faculty members of the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) arrested in late May. He has been held since. Mr. Zibaei completed a Master’s level program in psychology at BIHE and has taught extensively at the institute over the past 8 years, holding positions as member of the psychology department and dean of social science faculty. Scholars at Risk understands that since his arrest Mr. Zibaei has not been permitted to receive regular visits from his family and has not been granted access to legal counsel, in apparent disregard of international standards of due process, fair trial and detention as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is signatory.

The suddenness of Mr. Zibaei’s arrest and the lack of any clear basis for his detention raise grave concerns about the ability of intellectuals and scholars to safely work in Iran. Taking into account reported arrests of several additional Baha’i scholars in May—and the reported arrests of scholars following the June 2009 election—Mr. Zibaei’s detention suggest a wider attempt to exclude Baha’i individuals from the higher education community within Iran and more broadly to intimidate intellectuals and to limit academic freedom in Iran. Scholars at Risk finds this suggestion particularly distressing and unfortunate, given Iran’s rich intellectual history and traditional support for the values of scholarship and free inquiry.

Scholars at Risk therefore joins with many national and international academic associations, human rights organizations and individual scholars in respectfully urging authorities to ensure that Iran’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Mr. Zibaei, his colleagues at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) and other intellectuals in Iran. Scholars at Risk respectfully implores authorities to reexamine Mr. Zibaei's case and, pending his earliest release, to guarantee his well-being and to ensure that he is granted access to family, legal representation of his choosing, and medical treatment

Take Action

Scholars at Risk invites letters, emails and faxes be sent:

-respectfully urging authorities to ensure that Iran’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Mr. Zibaei, his colleagues at the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) and other intellectuals in Iran; and

-respectfully urging authorities to reexamine Mr. Zibaei's case and, pending his earliest release, to guarantee his well-being and to ensure that he is granted access to family, legal representation of his choosing, and medical treatment.

PLEASE WRITE TO:

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o H.E. Mr. Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador of Iran to the United States
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
662 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017, USA
Email to: iran@un.int
Fax to: +1 (212) 867-7086

COPIES TO:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh
(Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. (south of Serah-e Jomhouri)
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: larijani@dadgostary-tehran.ir or info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

The Honorable Hillary Clinton
United States Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA

Bahai International Community
United Nations Office
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120
New York, NY 10017 USA
Fax: +1 212-803-2566
Email: nyc@bic.org

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to [YOUR COUNTRY]
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]
(See http://www.mfa.gov.ir/cms/cms/Tehran/en/Missions/ for a list of Iranian embassies worldwide.)

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of [YOUR COUNTRY] to the Islamic Republic of Iran
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer St., 4th floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
Fax: +1 212 995-4402
scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu

To view a model letter of appeal, as well as a copy of SAR's letter, please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts-Scholars-in-Prison.php.

From:	Scholars at Risk Network
Re:	Call for Letters on Behalf of Prof. Masaud Jahromi of Bahrain
Date:	August 17, 2011

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is gravely concerned about Professor Masaud Jahromi, Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain, who has been arrested and detained for four months. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities to intervene to ensure his well‑being pending his earliest release, including ensuring regular access to the legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment.

Scholars at Risk is an international network of over 250 universities and colleges in 31 countries dedicated to protecting the human rights of scholars around the world and to raising awareness, understanding of, and respect for the principles of academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of expression, opinion, thought, association and travel. In cases like Professor Jahromi's involving alleged infringement of these freedoms, SAR investigates hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Background

Dr. Masaud Jahromi holds a PhD in Telecommunication Networking from University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, and he is Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ahlia University’s College of Mathematical Sciences and Information Technology. Scholars at Risk has learned that Professor Jahromi was arrested and taken from his home at 2:30 am on April 14, 2011. Scholars at Risk understands that Professor Jahromi was held first in Al Galaa Prison and then transferred to the Dry Dock Prison, where he has been since the end of April. According to reports, the police broke into his house in the middle of the night, threatened and harassed members of his family, confiscated the family’s laptops, and beat Professor Jahromi before taking him away to an undisclosed location. He was denied access to his family for over one month. Reports also indicate that Professor Jahromi is not receiving medical treatment for serious and diagnosed conditions, including Hepatitis C.

The nature of Professor Jahromi’s arrest and his detention without access to medical care and family suggests apparent disregard of international standards of due process, fair trial and detention as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain has acceded. Taking into account reported arrests of scholars in Bahrain following the pro-democracy protests in February and March, Professor Jahromi’s detention suggests a wider attempt to intimidate intellectuals and to limit academic freedom in Bahrain-a suggestion Scholars at Risk finds particularly distressing and unfortunate given the current tensions in the region and the world, which appear to warrant more rather than fewer exchanges and discussions among scholars inside and outside Bahrain.

Scholars at Risk therefore urges authorities to ensure that Bahrain’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Professor Jahromi and respectfully urges authorities to intervene in his case and to ensure his wellbeing-including regular access to family, to legal counsel of his choosing and to medical treatment-pending his earliest release.