Endangered Scholars Worldwide

Social Research was founded in 1934 by a group of scholars known as the University in Exile, refugees from Nazi Europe who found a home at the New School where they were able to continue the work they had been prevented from doing in Europe because of their religion or political stance. Since the summer of 2007, we have published in each issue the names and details of scholars, researchers, and students who have been threatened or imprisoned, along with ways to offer them support. We see this effort as consistent not only with our own history as a journal but with the need to call attention to the increasing and often brutal attempts to silence our colleagues around the world.

If you are aware of a scholar or student whose case you believe we should investigate, please contact us at esw@newschool.edu.

The information in this report is current, to the best of our knowledge, as of August 17, 2015. For additional and more recent information about many of these cases, as well as letters of protest, our website at http://www.endan-geredscholarsworldwide.com/. Please also like us and follow our posts at https://www.facebook.com/endangeredscholars.

NEW AND CONTINUING CASES

BAHRAIN

Scholars and Researchers: Endangered Scholars Worldwide is gravely concerned about the court decision, issued on May 14, 2015, to deport Professor masaud mirza jaffar jahromi, who had his citizenship revoked on January 31, 2015, along with 70 other people. Professor Jahromi does not have a second nationality and so has no clear place to seek refuge. The decision to revoke his passport in January 2015 was based on an order from the Minister of the Interior following allegations of “damage to the interests of the country and loyalty to the king.” The court issued an order for his deportation and a fine of 100 dinars. Professor Jahromi holds a PhD in telecommunication networking from the University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, and he was the chairman of the telecommunication engineering department at Ahlia University. In 2011, Jahromi was imprisoned for five months.

Previously featured scholars from Bahrain who remain in prison include prisoner of conscience mahdi ‘issa mahdi abu dheeb, former president of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on September 21, 2012, on charges of “inciting hatred against the regime” and “attempting to overthrow and change the regime by force.” He is being denied medical assistance and his health has been deteriorating. abdul-jalil al-singace, head of the department of engineering at the University of Bahrain, was sentenced to life in prison by the military National Safety Court on charges of “plotting to topple” the government in June 2011. As of this report, Professor Al-Singace’s family has confirmed that he has again been denied medical attention and family visits. He has gone on several hunger strikes since March 21, 2015, to protest against police brutality and torture that took place following a riot in Jau prison in March. According to his lawyer professor, he has not received proper medical treatment. Endangered Scholars Worldwide emphasizes that denying prisoners’ medical care and treatment is considered a breach of international human rights conventions and national laws, which hold regardless of the crime.

Scholars at Risk has set up a petition letter in support of dr. al-singace. The petition letter and sample letters can be found at http://tinyurl.com/release-al-singace.

Students: Previously featured students from Bahrain who remain in prison include ahmad hassan ali mshaima’, arrested on December 28, 2013, and charged on April 16, 2014, with “illegal gathering with an intent to commit crimes and disturb public security” following protests to mark the second anniversary of the uprising on February 14, 2013. According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Mashima’ has repeatedly been beaten in the aftermath of the March riot in Jau prison. Mashima’ now is facing new charges for participating in the protest. Also still in prison is ahmed al arab, 23, a nursing student from Bani Jamra, who was arrested on January 9, 2014, in Hamad Town, and...