Committee on Human Rights: Year in Review 2019 (2020)

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YEAR IN REVIEW // M E S S A G E FROM THE CHAIR A s I a p p r o a c h my fifth year as Ch air of the Committee on Human Rights (CHR), I a m i n c r e a s i ngly convinced of the important role that the scientific, engineering, a n d m e d i c a l communities have to play in promoting and protecting human rights. I n 2 0 1 9 , s u s tained advocacy by the CHR and others in support of colleagues s u f f e r i n g s e r ious human rights abuses worldwide has been followed by dramatic i m p r o v e m e n ts in the situation of many colleagues, to include release from prison a n d m a s s a c quittals. The individuals concerned, and their families, attribute this i n p a r t t o t h e tremendous support that they have received from fellow academics a n d o t h e r i ndividuals around the world. During the past year, the CHR, together w i t h C H R Correspondents and national academies participating in the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Human Rights Network, took over 1,500 actions in support of c o l l e a g u e s under threat, to include appeals, private petitions, meetings, and s u b m i s s i o n s to human rights complaint mechanisms. A Turkish physicist, released f r o m p r i s o n following international pressure, described the impact of such p r e s s u r e : “ I would have been forgotten without all of you…I mean I really would b e f o r g o t t e n.” T h e C H R i s also increasingly involved in exploring, and raising public awareness a b o u t , p r e ssing global challenges involving human rights and science, e n g i n e e r i n g , and health. Our public symposium series, established in 2017, p r o v i d e s a critical forum for discussion of such challenges. This year’s event c o n v e n e d e xperts for a discussion of human rights-related opportunities and c o n c e r n s a ssociated with digital technologies, and included discussion of issues s u c h a s t h e targeted digital surveillance of human rights defenders and d is c r i m i n a t i on in connection with artificial intelligence systems. The CHR c o n t i n u e s t o explore ways of contributing to the dialogue on these and other m a t t e r s o f w idespread human rights concern. I w o u l d l i k e to express my appreciation f or your efforts to help ensure r e a l i z a t i o n of human rights throughout the world and look forward to c o n t i n u i n g , and intensifying, our work in t h e c o m i n g year. -MARTIN CHALFIE CHR CHAIR 01 

// 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During 2019, the CHR advocated in support of 100 colleagues in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East suffering serious human rights abuses as a consequence of their professional work and other internationally protected activities. Many of these colleagues were targeted in connection with broader attacks on medical facilities and institutions of higher education. More than one third of the CHR’s cases involved Turkish scientists, engineers, and health professionals, including several Turkish scholars who faced terrorism-related charges for having signed a petition calling for peace in the country’s southeastern region. In a major development, the Turkish Constitutional Court ruled in July that the criminal conviction of individuals who signed the “peace petition” violated their right to freedom of expression. The Court’s decision paved the way for the acquittal of hundreds of scholars, including colleagues whom the CHR has supported, although many remain unable to return to their academic positions. Other positive developments, discussed in more detail in the pages that follow, include the release from detention of: -the Vice President of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences, Muntaser Ibrahim, who came under threat as part of a crackdown on human rights under the former President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir -Iranian computer engineer Azita Rafizadeh, who was imprisoned for four years as a result of her involvement, as a professor and administrator, with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education, a network of academics organized for the purpose of providing a university-level education to Baha’i students -Cuban physician Eduardo Cardet Concepción, who served more than two years in prison for promoting democracy   The Committee’s advocacy in support of these and other individuals, conducted behind the scenes, consisted of letters of appeal, private petitions, meetings with government officials, and formal submissions to human rights complaint bodies. Many of the CHR’s 1500 “Correspondents” (members of the U.S. National Academies who have elected to support the CHR’s work), as well as members of other national academies, contributed to these advocacy efforts. In addition, the CHR and  Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) established a distance fellowship program that provides at-risk scholars unable to pursue their teaching and/or research with access to online library resources at CMU, as well as connections with CMU scholars in their fields. A pilot of the program was successfully carried out in 2019 with three Turkish scholars, and the CHR is presently exploring possibilities for its expansion. 02 

YEAR IN REVIEW // A s p a r t o f t he CHR’s efforts to raise public awareness about human rights issues w i t h a c o n n ection to science, engineering, and medicine, the Committee held its s e c o n d b i e n nial symposium in September. This event, which reached an audience o f m o r e t h a n 300 people in person and via webcast, brought together experts to d i s c u s s r i g h t s-related opportunities and challenges related to digital technologies a n d t o e x p l o re ways of leveraging such technologies in a manner that helps p rotect r i g h t s . O t h e r CHR events held in 2019 include a briefing for Academy members on s e r i o u s h u m an rights concerns in volving members of China’s Uyghur community a n d a l e c t u r e on the use of forensic science to identify missing migrants along the U . S . - M e x i c o - Central America corridor. Throughout 2019, in recognition of the 70th a n ni v e r s a r y of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2 0 1 8 ,   t h e Committee shared stories of scientists, engineers, and health p r o f e s s i o n a l s who have leveraged their skills and expertise to help advance human r i g h t s a n d dignity around the world. Among the individuals featured in this c a m p a i g n w ere several Academy members, including Mary-Claire King and her g r o u n d b r e a k ing development of mitochondrial DNA sequencing to identify c hi l d r e n k i d napped during a period of state-sponsored violence and rights ab use in Argentina. T h e C H R s e r ves as the Secretariat of the International Human Rights Network of A c a d e m i e s a nd Scholarly Societies (IHRN), a consortium of honorary societies in t h e s c i e n c e s , engineering, and medicine that work to defend the fundamental r i g h t s o f c o l l eagues worldwide and to support scholarly institutions under threat. T o d a t e , m o r e than 90 academies have participated in the IHRN’s activities, and it c o n t i n u e s t o expand with the recent inclusion of academies in Nicaragua and the C z e c h R e p u blic. During 2019, the IHRN’s Executive Committee—compos ed of a c a d e m y r e p resentatives from 12 countries—together with academies participating i n t h e I H R N , spoke out against unfair trials, arbitrary detention, torture, and o t h e r   s e v e r e forms of ill-treatment involving numerous members of the global s c i e n t i f i c c o mmunity. In March, the Executive Committee issued a public statement c o n d e m n i n g targeted attacks on colleagues and other individuals in Sudan under f o r m e r P r e s i dent al-Bashir. It also issued a public statement in July expressing its c o n c e r n a b o ut the Hungarian Nati onal Academy’s adoption of a bill that increased g o v e r n m e n t control over the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ research institutes, e m p h a s i z i n g that the proposed changes to the relationship between the g o v e r n m e n t and the Academy infringed upon the core principles of academic f r e e d o m a n d institutional autonomy underpinning the scientific enterprise. 03 

// 2019 ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCE C A S E STATISTICS In 2019 the CHR worked on 100 cases i n v o l v i n g c o l l e a g u e s i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t a n d North Africa, Europe and Eurasia, the As i a - P a c i f i c r e g i o n , t h e A m e r i c a s , a n d s u b - S aharan Africa. Of these colleagues, 49% we r e s c i e n t i s t s , 1 4 % w e r e e n g i n e e r s , a n d 3 7 % were health professionals. Europe & 46 Eurasia Middle-East North Africa 28 Asia-Pacific 11 Americas 6 9 Sub-Saharan Africa 04 

YEAR IN REVIEW // A D V O C ACY THROUGH INTERNATIONAL H U M A N RIGHTS MECHANISMS The C H R h a s l ong submitted substantial case briefs based on international human rights law to t h e U n i t e d Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In add i t i o n t o i t s ongoing use of UNESCO ’s procedure, the CHR has continued to make u se of a num b e r o f o t h er U.N. human rights complaint processes during the past year. In 2 0 1 9 , t h e C H R prepared case briefs concerning four colleagues that are being examined by UNE S C O ’ s C o mmittee on Conventions and Recommendations. Because the Committee’s revi e w p r o c e s s is repeated every six months, it allows for sustained, indirect di alogue bet w e e n t h e C HR and high-level officials of the governments concerned. Of the 79 admissible case s s u b m i t t e d to UNESCO by the CHR and academies in the International Human Rights Net w o r k o v e r the past 29 year s, 71 have been resolved successfully, and 4 of the colleagues who s e c a s e s a r e ongoing have seen certain positive developments.   The C H R a l s o s ubmitted information on 14 cases involving colleagues from Asia, Europe, and the M i d d l e E a st to a variety of other U.N. mechanisms, including the Working Group on Arb i t r a r y D e t e ntion; the Special Rapporteur (SR) on the right to health; the SR on the inde p e n d e n c e of judges and lawyers; the SR on peaceful assembly and association; the SR on hum a n r i g h t s defenders; the SR on torture; the SR on extrajudicial executions; the SR on pro m o t i n g h u man rights while countering terrorism; the SR on freedom of religion; the SR on edu c a t i o n ; a n d the SR on minority issues.   Last y e a r , t h e CHR entered into a formal arrangement with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a global law f i r m , i n w hich law associates ass ist the Committee in preparing case submissions to inte r n a t i o n a l h uman rights complaint bodies. The firm provided assistance on three cases in 201 9 a n d w i l l c ontinue to provide support in the coming year. 05 

// 2019 CASE DEVELOPMENTS: TURKEY Ove r t h e p a s t f our years, the CHR has appealed for justice in support of dozens of professional coll e a g u e s i n T urkey who have been targeted for exercising the right to freedom of expression and o t h e r i n t ernationally recognized rights, including colleagues subjected to criminal pro c e e d i n g s f or having criticized Turkish military operations in Syria and in the Kurdish maj o r i t y s o u t h eastern region of Turkey. Sinc e S e p t e m ber 2019, hundreds of Turkish academics—including many professional coll e a g u e s — h a ve been acquitted of terrorism-related charges brought against them for having sign e d a p e t i t i on in early 2016 calling for an end to the military campaign in the majority Kur d i s h s o u t h e astern region of Turkey. The scholars who signed the petition are often referred to a s t h e “ A c a d emics for Peace”; many were su mmarily forced out of their university positions, pre v e n t e d f r o m traveling outside the country, and criminally prosecuted. In a landmark dec i s i o n i s s u e d in July 2019, Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that the conviction of 10 Aca d e m i c s f o r Peace, for having signed the peace petition, violated their right to freedom of exp r e s s i o n . T h i s ruling created a path to justice for the many Academics for Peac e su bjected to c r i m i n a l p r oceedings. Although hundreds of peace petition signatories have r eceived acq u i t t a l s s i n c e the Constitutional C ourt ruling, many remain unable to return to their aca d e m i c w o r k . In late 2019, the Academics for Peace issued a public statement calling for the rein s t a t e m e n t of academics forced out of their university positions and the removal of rest r i c t i o n s o n their passports. 06 

YEAR IN REVIEW // Profe s s o r F ü s u n Üstel—a Turkish po litical scientist and Acad e m i c f o r P eace   convicted and imprisoned as a result of havin g s i g n e d t he petition calling for peace in southeastern Turk e y , w a s o n e of 10 Academics for Peace who brought a case t o t h e T u r k ish Constitutional Court. On July 22, 2019, just a few d a y s b e f ore the Court issued a decision finding the scho l a r s ’ c o n v i c tion in violation of their right t o freedom of expr e s s i o n , s h e was released from prison, having served 2 ½ mon t h s o f a 15-month sentence. The remainder of her sent e n c e w a s s uspended. On May 29, 2019, Dr. Serkan Golge, a physicist and dual U.S.-Turkish citizen, was released from Iskenderun Prison in Turkey, after nearly three years in detention. Dr. Golge was taken into custody on July 23, 2016 while visiting family in Turkey. In February 2018, he was convicted on national s ecurity- related charges and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, although no credible evidence was ever presented to support the charges against him. This sentence was P h o t o : C o u r t esy of later reduced to five years on appeal. At the time of Kubra Golge. his arrest, he was a resident of Houston, Texas, where he worked as a senior research scientist at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center and lived with his wife and two young children, who are also U.S. citizens. 07 

// 2019 CASE DEVELOPMENTS: IRAN The B a h a ’ i s — t h e largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran—have long faced severe forms of discr i m i n a t i o n and harassment in the country, including obstacles to enrollment in Iran’s unive r s i t i e s , a n d expulsion from them. In 1987, the Baha’i community created the Baha’i Instit u t e f o r H i g her Education (BIHE) to provide a university-level education to Baha’i students deni e d a c c e ss t o higher education. A network of academics teach BIHE classes on a voluntary basis , o n l i n e a n d sometimes in their homes. Many of these educators are Baha’i professors, them s e l v e s f o r c ed out of university positions because of their faith. BIHE degrees have been recog n i z e d b y a considerable number of higher education institutions outside of Iran but, throu g h o u t t h e BIHE’s existence, the Iranian gover nment has attempted to dismantle the instit u t e t h r o u g h raids, confiscation of computer equipment and educational materials, and arres t s o f B I H E professors and administrators. Over the years, the CHR has advocated in support of more than a dozen Iranian Baha’i professional colleagues targeted for their work with the BIHE—including Azita Rafizadeh, a computer engineer. In mid-2011, Iranian authorities raid ed the homes of more than three dozen Baha’is associated with the BIHE, including that of Ms. Rafizadeh and her husband—both then BIHE professors— confiscating religious items, books, and other belongings. After years of harassment, including being interrogated about their work with the BIHE and unsuccessfully pressured to sign a statement pledging to give up their acad emic work, Ms. Rafizadeh and her hu sband were charged, separately, with “membership in the illegal and misguided Baha’i group with the aim of acting against national security through illegal activities at the BIHE educational institute.” Following proceedings that failed to meet international fair trial standards, Ms. Rafizadeh was conv icted and sentenced to four years in prison. Summoned to begin serving her sentence in October 2015, she was held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, where conditions are known to be harsh. Because she and her husband were both imprisoned, and they did not have a family member able to take care of their young son, he was placed in a foster home. On October 9, 2019, Ms. Rafizadeh was released from prison and reunited with her son. Azita Rafizadeh, with her son, shortly after her 08 release from prison. 

YEAR IN REVIEW // CASE DEVELOPMENTS: SUDAN Protests against political and econom i c c o n d i t i o n s e r u p t e d i n S u d a n i n D e c e m b e r 2018, and were met with disproportiona t e , a n d f r e q u e n t l y d e a d l y , f o r c e b y S u danese authorities against peaceful demonstr a t o r s i n t o 2 0 1 9 . T h e C H R s p o k e o u t a g a i n s t rights abuses in the country—including th e w i d e s p r e a d a t t a c k s o n m e d i c a l f a c i l i t i e s and personnel in the country, and the de t e n t i o n o f h ea l t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s a s p u n i s h m ent for their care of in jured protesters. The C o m m i t t e e a l s o c o n d e m n e d r a i d s o n i n s t i t u t i ons of research and higher education in Sud a n a n d t h e a r r e s t o f s c h o l a r s s e e n a s s u p porting poli tical change, including Dr. Mun t a s e r I b r a h i m , V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e S u danese National Acad emy of Sciences and a p r o f e s s o r i n t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f K h a r toum’s Department of Microbiology and In s t i tu t e o f E n d e m i c D i s e a s e s . F o l l o w i n g i ntense domestic and international pressure, m a n y d e t a i n e d c o l l e a g u e s w e r e r e l e a s e d . Some, including Dr. Ibrahim, remained in det e n t i o n u n t i l t h e t r a n s i t i o n o f p o w e r i n S u d a n that led to the ouster of President Omar al - B a s h i r i n A p r i l 2 0 1 9 . For CHR video interviews with Shaz a E l m a h d i o f t h e S u d a n e s e A m e r i c a n P h y sicians Association and Michael Payne of P h y s i c i a n s f o r H Human u m a n Rights, R i g h t s , who w h o discuss d i s c u s s their organizations’ efforts to respond to th e h u m a n r i g h t s crackdown c r a c k d o w n in i n Sudan S u d a n   and a n d attacks a t t a cks on medical neutrality, visit the CHR webs i t e. Sudanese scientist Muntaser Ibra h i m , an inte rnationally respected geneticist an d c a n c e r researcher,  was detained by Sudanes e s e c u r i t y forces on February 21, 2019 before h e w a s t o present then President al-Bashir w i t h a proposal for peace in the country, sup p o r t e d b y hundreds of faculty members at the U n i v e r s i t y of Khartoum. Held at the Securit y F o r c e s ' Poli tical Detention Center in Bahri, K h a r t o u m , where conditions are known to be e x t r e m e l y harsh, Dr. Ibrahim was one of a n u m b e r o f poli tical prison ers released in April 20 1 9. Photo: The World Academy o f S c i e n c e s 09 

// 2019 The detention of scientists and scholars for the peaceful expression of their views is contrary to the most fundamental principles of international human rights, and devastating for scientific research and progress. 10 Photo: Hassan Baba, Sudanese National Academy of Sciences 

YEAR IN REVIEW // CHR-Carnegie Mellon University Distance Fellowship Program In co l l a b o r a t i o n with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the CHR has established a distance fellow s h i p p r o g r am for at-risk scholars unable to pursue their teaching and/or research. The progr a m p r o v i d e s fellows with CMU Affiliate status for an anticipated term of two years, which inclu d e s t h e s a me online library access as faculty located at the university. Fellows are also conn e c t e d w i t h CMU scholars in their fields. The concept of a remote fellows program was conce i v e d b y N AS members Baruch F ischhoff and Granger Morgan, who are CMU faculty mem b e r s a n d C HR Correspondents.     A pilo t o f t h e D i stance Fellows Program was successfully carried out in 2019 with three Turkish schol a r s : D r . A l i Basaran, a physicist; Dr. Ali Riza Güngen, a political scientist; and Dr. Hediya Asli Davas , a m e d i c al doctor and p ublic health expert. Dr. Basaran received his Ph.D. from the Unive r s i t y o f C a lifornia San Diego in 2014 and subsequently returned to Turkey to conduct resea r c h i n h i s o wn lab and teach. Dr. Güngen received his Ph.D. in political science and public admi n i s t r a t i o n f rom Middle East Technical University in 2012 and works in political economics. Dr. D a v a s e a r n e d her M.D. in 1997 from the University of Ista nbul and her Ph.D. in public health from t h e U n i v e r sity of Ege in 2005 and taught in the University’s Department of Public Health. Drs. B a s a r a n , G üngen, and Davas were among hundreds of Turkish academics who were summ a r i l y d i s m i ssed from their universi ties in 2016 and 2017, prevented from traveling outside of th e c o u n t r y , and faced criminal investigation/prosecution as a result of their peaceful exerc i s e o f i n t e r nationally protected rights. While proceedings against all three of the scholars have n o w b e e n dropped, they, along with hundreds of other dismissed academics in Turkey, have n o t b e e n reinstated at their universities. Despite these difficult challenges, the fellows repor t t h a t t h e i r affiliate status with CMU, including remote access to the university’s library resou r c e s , h a s h elped make it possible for them to publish scholarly work in their fields during the fi r s t y e a r o f the distance program.   Given t h e s u c c ess of the Distance Fellows one-year pilot, the CHR is presently exploring possi b i l i t i e s f o r i ts expansion. Faculty members interested in exploring the possibility of hosting a dist a n c e f e l l o w at their universities should contact the CHR at 202-334-3043 or chr@nas.edu for fu r t h e r i n f o r mation about the program. 11 

// 2019 AWARENESS RAISING ACTIVITIES To celebrate the 70th anniversary of t h e U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f H u m a n R i g h t s (UDHR), the CHR shared stories of scientists, e n g i n e e r s , a n d h e a l t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s w h o h a ve used their expertise to promote and prote c t h u m a n r i g h t s . T h e s e s t o r i e s h i g h l i g h t t h e many exciting ways in which science, engi n e e r i n g , a n d m e d i c i n e c a n h e l p t o a d v a n c e human dignity worldwide. Among the stories featured in t h e C H R c a m p a i g n i s t h a t o f M a r y-Claire King's  groundbreaking developmen t o f m i t o c h o n d r i a l D N A s e q u e n c i n g t o identify children kidn apped during a period o f s t a t e - s p o n s o r e d v i o l e n c e a n d r i g h t s a buse in Argentina. The CHR’s campaign also h i g h l i g h t e d t h e w o r k o f h u m a n r i g h t s o r g a n i zations that use science and technology in t h e s e r v i c e o f h u m a n r i g h t s , i n c l u d i n g H u m a n Rights Data Analysis Group and its  use of s t a t i s t i c a l a n a l y s i s t o p r o m o t e a c c o u n t a b i lity for atrocities committed during the Sri L a n k a n c i v i l w a r . Dr . Ma ry-Claire King (left) with Estella Carlotto (ri g h t ) and Nelida Gomez (center) of Argentina, soon afte r introducing the detection of mitochondrial DN A d ifferences to the project of reuniting families. 12 

YEAR IN REVIEW // The CHR briefing during the April NAS A n n u a l M e e t i n g h i g h l i g h t e d t h e w o r k o f f o rensic anthropologist Mercedes Doretti, co- f o u n d e r o f t h e A r g e n t i n e F o r e n s i c A n t h r o pology Team (EAAF), and her team, to identi f y m i s s i n g m i g r a n t s a l o n g t h e U . S . - M e x i c o - C entral America corridor using the DNA of fa m i l y m e m b e r s . D o r e t t i d i s c u s s e d h o w s h e a nd  her colleagues use forensic science to i n v e s t i g a t e a n d d o c u m e n t h u m a n r i g h t s a buses, including by recovering and identi f y i n g t h e r e m a i n s o f v i c t i m s o f r i g h t s a buses, returning the remains to their relativ e s , a n d p r o v i d i n g e v i d e n c e i n c o u r t p r o c e e dings. Through this work, the EAAF seeks t o b r i n g h u m a n r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s t o l i g h t and to sup port the search for truth, justice, a n d r e p a r a t i o n s f o r v i c t i m s a n d t h e i r f a m i l i e s . Read a Q&A with Mercedes Doretti about he r w o r k o n t h e C H R w e b s i t e . The need to locate the remains of and find out what has happened to a loved one in itself demonstrates an inherent denial of human rights. Our team promotes the rights to truth and justice in particular, as the evidence we collect can be used to identify the remains of a victim and to determine their cause and manner of death. Photo: MacArthur Foundation 3 15 

// 2019 The CHR’s l unch briefing during t h e O c t o b e r N A M A n n u a l M e e t i n g a d d ressed widespread g lobal concerns regardin g t h e p e r s e c u t i o n o f T u r k i c M u s l i m p e o p l e s in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regio n ( X U A R ) i n n o r t h w e s t C h i n a .   N u r y T u r k e l , Board Chair of the Uyghur Human Rights P r o j e c t ( U H R P ) - a h u m a n r i g h t s r e s e a r c h , r e p orting, and advocac y organization - and U H R P ’ s C h i n e s e O u t r e a c h C o o r d i n a t o r , Z ubayra Shamseden, presented credible repo r t s o f m a s s d e t e n t i o n s , m e n t a l a n d p h y s i c a l abuse, and other serious human rights abus e s i n t h e r e g i o n . In ternational human rights experts, g o v e r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s i n m a n y c o u n t r i e s , r e s pected non-governmental organizations, a n d i n d e p e n d e n t j o u r n a l i s t s h a v e h i g h l ighted increasingly repressive governmenta l m e a s u r e s a g a i n s t U y g h u r s a n d o t h e r M u s l ims in Xi njiang. The Co-Rapporteur for Ch i n a o n t h e U . N . C o m m i t t e e o n t h e E l i m i n a t ion of Racial Discrimination, for instance, h a s r a i s e d c o n c e r n a b o u t “ n u m e r o u s a n d c r edible reports that, in the name of comba t i n g ‘ r e l i g i o u s e x t r e m i s m ’ a n d m a i n t a i n i n g ‘social stability’,” the region has been t u r n e d i n t o s o m e t h i n g r e s e m b l i n g a m assive in ternment camp “shrouded in sec r e c y , a ‘ n o r i g h t s z o n e ’ . ” T h i s e x p e r t , a l o n g with m any others, has expressed alarm t h a t U y g h u r s a n d o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s i d e n t i f ied as Muslim are being treated as enem i e s o f t h e s t a t e b a s e d o n t h e i r e t h n o - r e l igious id entity. Many commentators have pointed t o a p a t t e r n o f e n f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s and arbitrary detention of Uyghurs—w h i c h r e p o r t e d l y e s c a l a t e d i n 2 0 1 7 w i t h the government’s introduction of so-cal l e d ‘ r e - e d u c a t i o n ’ o r ‘ v o c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g ’ c a mps in the region.  In November 2018, six U . N . h u m a n r i g h t s e x p e r t s r e c o g n i z e d t h a t u p to 1 m illion ethnic Uyghurs and other m i n o r i t i e s i n X i n j i a n g , i n c l u d i n g c h i l d r e n , elderly persons, persons with disabilities, a n d p r e g n a n t w o m e n , m a y h a v e b e e n f o r c e d into these camps without charge and w i t h o u t a c c e s s t o l e g a l r e m e d i e s o r c o n t a c t with in dividuals outside the camps. S u c h c o n c e r n s a r e c o m p o u n d e d b y r e p o rts of widespread surveillance and coerce d c o l l e c t i o n o f b i o d a t a , i n c l u d i n g D N A s a m p les, in the wider region under the guise of a p u b l i c h e a l t h p r o g r a m . Ma s s a c h u s e t t s- b a s e d b i o t e c h n o l o g y company Thermo Fisher Scientific announced in Feb r u a r y 2 0 1 9 t h a t i t w o u l d n o l o n g er sell genetic sequencing equipment in the Chinese reg i o n o f X i n j i a n g — r e f e r e n c i n g “ T h e r mo Fisher’s values, ethics code and policies.”  Thermo Fis h e r ’ s d e c i s i o n f o l l o w e d   e x p r e s s i o n s of concern, including from the CHR,  about possible use o f i t s e q u i p m e n t b y X i n j i a n g a u t horities to engage in mass surveillance of the region’s Uy g h u r m i n o r i t y p o p u l a t i o n . 14 Photo: Bahram S i n t a s h 

YEAR IN REVIEW // On September 18, 2019, the CHR host e d a s y m p o s i u m , Human Rights and Digital Technolog i e s, t h a t b r o u g h t together experts in the fields of hu m a n r i g h t s a n d technology to examine the challenges a s s o c i a t e d w i t h the collection and use of digital dat a a n d t o e x p l o r e ways of leveraging digital innovation i n a m a n n e r t h a t helps protect internationally recogniz e d h u m a n r i g h t s . Digital technologies have expanded o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r individuals and organizations to mob i l i z e , d o c u m e n t , and advocate, including around hu m a n r i g h t s a n d humanitarian crises; however, with th e s e o p p o r t u n i t i e s come certain concerns, including i n r e l a t i o n t o prot ecting privacy and securing sensit i v e d a t a . The symposium addressed topics such a s t h e r e l e v a n c e of human rights norms for dig i t a l i n f o r m a t i o n collection and analysis and the implica t i o n s o f a r t i f i c i a l intelligence decision-making systems f o r h u m a n r i g h t s . The convening, the second in a series o f b i e n n i a lT h i s symposia on important topics involvi n g s c i e n c e , e n g i n e e r i n g , h e a l t h , a n d h u m a n rights, reached an audience of more than 300 i n d i v i d u a l s i n p e r s o n a n d v i a w e b c a s t . R e cordings of the symposium sessions, along wit h a P r o c e e d i n g s - i n - B r i e f, c a n b e a c c e s s e d on the CHR’s website. The Winter 2019 Issue o f t h e N a t i o n a l A c a d e m y o f E n g i n e e r i n g j o u r nal, The Bridge, also contains a summary of the e v e n t. The symposium was followed by a pr i v a t e w o r k s h o p h e l d o n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 9, which brought togeth er human rights defen d e r s , c o m p u t e r s c i e n t i s t s a n d e n g i n e e r s , a nd other relevant actors to further discuss hum a n r i g h t s c h a l l e n g e s r e l a t e d t o d i g i t a l t e c h nologies. Disc ussion topics included the relation s h i p b e t w e e n d i g i t a l t e c h n o l o g i e s , s o c i a l r i ghts and inequality; citizen journalism and con t e n t r e g u l a t i o n ; a n d d i g i t a l s u r v e i l l a n c e o f human rights defenders. THE RELEVANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN A DIGITAL WORLD In his hi keynote address, David Kaye (United Nations Special Rapporteur Rapp on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom Freed of Opinion and Expression) stressed that international human rights law provides a basis for restraining the worst huma intrusions intrus and violations of the digital world and promoting its best.  best. However, he stressed that much work needs to be done to move forward a human rights-oriented digital agenda that capitalizes on the benefits of digital technologies to advance capit 15 human rights, while ensuring that those same technologies do huma not infringe in on rights. Photo: Cable Risdon/Risdon Photography 

// 2019 Contemporary and Emerging Challenges: Digital Technologies and Human Rights Shanthi Kalathil, Alexa Koenig, and Ron Deibert Human Rights and Digital Technologies Rights, Discrimination, and Artificial Intelligence Kristian Lum, Rashida Richardson, Eileen Donahoe, and Mark Latonero 16 Photos: Cable Risdon/Risdon Photography 

YEAR IN REVIEW // INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK of Academies and Scholarly Societies The CHR serves as the Secretariat o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l H u m a n R i g h t s N e t w ork of Academies and Scholarly Societies ( I H R N ) , a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n s o r t i u m o f h o norary societies in the sciences, engineerin g , a n d m e d i c i n e w i t h a s h a r e d i n t e r e s t i n human rights. The IHRN was founded in 19 9 3 t o a l e r t n a t i o n a l a c a d e m i e s t o h u m a n rights abuses involving fellow scientists and s c h o l a r s a n d t o e q u i p a c a d e m i e s w i t h t h e t ools to provide support in such cases. Toda y t h e I H R N a d v o c a t e s i n s u p p o r t o f p r o f e ssional col leagues suffering human rights a b u s e s , p r o m o t e s t h e f r e e e x c h a n g e o f i d e as and opinions among scientists and schola r s , a n d s u p p o r t s t h e i n d e p e n d e n c e a n d a u t onomy of national academies and scholarly s o c i e t i e s w o r l d w i d e . In March 2019, the IHRN’s Executive C o m m i t t e e , c o m p o s e d o f a c a d e m y m e m b e r s f rom 12 countries, issu ed a public statement c o n d e m n i n g h u m a n r i g h t s a b u s e s b y t h e S u danese government following popular protes t s c o n c e r n i n g t h e p o l i t i c a l a n d e c o n o m i c s i tuation in the country. Additionally, in Ju l y , f o l l o w i n g t h e H u n g a r i a n N a t i o n a l A s s e mbly’s adoption of a bill effectively hand i n g o v e r c o n t r o l o f t h e H u n g a r i a n A c a d e my of Sci ences’ research institutes to the g o v e r n m e n t , t h e E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e i s sued a public statement expressing conce r n t h a t t h e m e a s u r e i n f r i n g e d u p o n “ t h e core principles of academic freedom and i n s t i t u t i o n a l a u t o n o m y t h a t u n d e r p i n t h e s c i entific enterprise.” The Hungarian Acad e my o f S c i e n c e s 17 

// 2019 The IHRN also raises global awareness about the connections between human rights and science, engineering, and medicine. To date, the IHRN has held 13 biennial meetings around the world to provide an opportunity for academy members to explore topical science and human rights themes and to share information and strategies on matters of human rights concern. The next meeting of the IHRN will be hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in Pretoria, South Africa on December 8-9, 2020 and will focus the use of human rights litigation and advocacy to address health disparities. In 2019, several academies participating in the IHRN hosted events of their own to explore pressing human rights issues. In September the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters  organized an international conference on Research and Human Rights, which brought together scholars from various disciplines to examine situations in which academic freedom is under attack. The conference highlighted the importance of incorporating a human rights perspective into academic research, in order to enhance research results and enable more responsible solutions to pressing societal challenges. A book featuring essays from the conference speakers will be released next year. Also in September, the French Academy of Sciences hosted and co-organized, together with the Human Rights Committee of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, a symposium on the right to education, which is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The symposium was the 8th in a series of symposia on “Human Rights and Science”, which the Leopoldina’s Human Rights Committee has held since 2010 with representatives of European academies and the wider European scientific community. Participants in the September 2019 human rights symposium co-organized by the French Academy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Photo: © German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 18 

YEAR IN REVIEW // CHR AT A GLANCE The infographics below provide a professional and regional breakdown of the CHR's current* and resolved cases. Click on the images below  to view enlarged infographics. *as of December 2019 The support of my professional colleagues, and of the academic community across the world, has been invaluable in securing my freedom… FORMERLY IMPRISONED MEDICAL DOCTOR 19 

// 2019 ABOUT US The Committee on Human Rights (CHR), created by members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1976, is a standing membership committee of the NAS, National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The CHR is composed of 15 members drawn from the three Academies and appointed by the Academies’ presidents, including the foreign secretaries of the NAS, NAE, and NAM who serve as ex officio members.   The Committee advocates in support of scientists, engineers, and health professionals subjected to serious human rights abuses worldwide, including in the United States, with a focus on individuals targeted for their professional activities and/or for having exercised the universally protected right to freedom of expression, which provides a crucial foundation for scientific research and progress. CHR cases involve long-term arbitrary detention, gross violations of the right to fair trial, withdrawal of citizenship without due process, torture, and disappearance, among other serious violations of international human rights law. Alongside the CHR’s advocacy, the Committee provides assistance to professional colleagues under threat by linking them to the wider international scientific community and to organizations that provide pro bono legal support and other services.   CHR members, and other members of the Academies, play a distinctive and influential advocacy role as globally respected individuals expressing solidarity with colleagues under threat. Nearly 1,500 members of the three Academies are CHR Correspondents, many of whom regularly take action on urgent human rights cases.   The CHR also raises awareness concerning the links between science, technology, health, and human rights, including through symposia, workshops, and briefings for Academy members. The CHR serves as the Secretariat of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (IHRN), which brings together more than 90 academies and scholarly societies to address shared science and human rights concerns. OUR MEMBERSHIP Chair Christine Cassel John Hildebrand Elaine Oran Martin Chalfie University of California, San NAS Foreign Secretary Texas A&M University Columbia University Francisco John G. Kassakian Elsa Reichmanis Vice-Chair Michael T. Clegg Massachusetts Institute of Georgia Institute of Mary Jane West-Eberhard University of California, Irvine Technology Technology Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute / University Vanessa Northington Michael Katz James M. Tien of Costa Rica Gamble Columbia University/ NAE Foreign Secretary The George Washington Stanford University Chris Beyrer University Johns Hopkins University Anthony Leggett Margaret Hamburg University of Illinois at 2 203 John Carlson NAM Foreign Secretary Urbana-Champaign Yale University 

Co n tact CHR: Phone: 202 334 3043 Fax: 202 334 2225 Email: chr@nas.edu HOW YOU CAN HELP B E COME A C H R C O R R E S P O N D E N T If yo u a r e a m ember of the National Academies interested  in receiving  updates on our activ i t i e s a n d o pportunities to assist colleagues under threat, sign up to become a CHR Corre s p o n d e n t . S U BCRIBE T O O U R M A I L I N G L I S T For o t h e r i n d i v i duals interested in learning more about CHR events and activities, please subs c r i b e t o o u r email list. S U PPORT U S You c a n m a k e a secure online gift on the CHR website, or by contacting the CHR via pho ne or emai l . www.nationalaca d e m i e s . o r g / h u m a n r i g h t s