NEAR Newsletter January 2006
Welcome to the NEAR Newsletter. In this edition you will find our most recent Action Alerts and also an ‘Academic Freedom in the Media’ section, listing news by country (January 2006). Any comments and suggestions about the content and layout of the newsletter will be gratefully received at roisin.joyce@nearinternational.org.
NEAR Action Alerts *Taken from the NEAR website
Russia: Russian scientist Danilov, jailed for espionage, appeals to European Court
Valentin Danilov, the Russian scientist sentenced to 14 years for espionage, has filed an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. His lawyer stated: “We have turned to the European Court to protect Danilov’s rights. The claim concerns the violation of four provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.
South Africa: Academic barred from seeking position at South African university
Academic Ashwin Desai has been barred from taking any academic position at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His decision has prompted many academics to question academic freedom at the University. Several media articles report that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Malegapuru William Makgoba, instructed the selection committee at the University of KwaZulu-Natal not to consider Ashwin's application for funding to undertake research on the history of race and sport in South Africa.
Iran: Detained Student allowed to sit exams in handcuffs
25-year-old Mojtaba Saminejad, communications students and blogger, was taken in handcuffs to sit his exams at the Azad University in Teheran on the 21 January 2006. The student has been in prison since February 2005 for "insulting the Supreme Guide". Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the fact that the Iranian courts have allowed him to continue his university course but repeated its call for his release.
** Please continue to send us any relevant cases involving threats to academic freedom and education rights, for potential alerts.
The Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) is a membership-based, non-governmental organisation which facilitates international collaboration between organisations active in issues of academic freedom and educational rights, and committed to promoting an understanding of, and respect for, the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For more information about NEAR, please visit our website at www.nearinternational.org
For further information please contact:-
Roisin Joyce
Deputy Director
roisin.joyce@nearinternational.org