Russia: nuclear scientist released on "spy swap"

Dr. Igor Staging (pictured), a scientist and former head of the Russian nuclear division at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, was released on July 9.

According to BBC reports, Staging has been delivered in Britain as one of a number of individuals convicted of spying in Russia who are being exchanged with 10 to 11 individuals alleged by the US to be Russian spies.

Staging was arrested by the Federal Security Service of Russia in October 1999, accused of espionage and sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime penal colony, in a case that human rights advocates believe it is politically motivated and part of a crackdown on freedom of expression in Russia.

Staging was accused of passing classified information to a research company based in London which was carrying out an independent analysis of the civic-military relations in Russia.

Staging has always asserted that only uses public sources of information and as a civilian investigator had no access to classified sources.

His case was identified as both a political prisoner by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also said that Sutyagins trial did not meet international standards.

Israel Scholars fight for freedom of dissent

More than 500 Israeli academics, including two former ministers of education have signed a petition to protest against the new laws, backed by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, to criminalize Israeli academics who openly support a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, the Guardian reported on July 11.

The request was triggered by the recent comments of the Israeli education minister, Gideon Saar, the government will take action against the supporters of the boycott.

A new bill pending before the Israeli parliament prohibit boycotts and penalize their supporters, including a ban on foreign boycotts that encourage or support to enter Israel for 10 years.
In the academic sector, this would affect a small number of scholars who have spoken in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) including Never Gordon, author of Israel's Occupation.

Although most of the signers of the petition does not support an academic boycott all have identified the new law as an attempt to stifle freedom of expression. The petition states: "We have different and varied opinions about solving the difficult problems facing Israel, but there is one thing we agree on - freedom of expression and academic freedom are the lifeblood of the academic system."

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United States: California vetoes bill transparency further education college

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have required foundations and other auxiliary groups linked to major universities of California, the California State University and University of California, to open its list of donors for the public Inside Higher Education reported on 1 October. Schwarzenegger said the bill does not "provide sufficient protection for many who rightfully deserve a level of privacy as part of their donations." The University of California and California State University said that the bill would have a "chilling effect" on private donations. The bill was proposed by Senator Leland Yee, a frequent critic of university governance practices and spending amid a dispute concerning the refusal of a foundation linked to the University of the State of California to disclose amount was spent to bring Sarah Plain to speak at school.

Inclusive: Academic autonomy reports worldwide

In Britain, police have asked the universities to spend them intelligence about planned protests, since students continue their vociferous campaign against education cuts and fee hikes. In Tunisia, the universities were closed last week, but is expected to be inaugurated tomorrow. Tartu University has sent a letter to the Croatian Parliament urging that the final version of a bill that affects their autonomy may change. President Barrack Osama has announced that educational exchanges between Cuba and the US eased, while in China the police and the security of the campus of Peking University have issued a ban on copying sensitive material. Minister of Higher Education Hani Hill Egypt has confirmed the government will comply with judicial decisions to end police presence at the campus. UK: Universities asked for intelligence information about the protests An officer from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist command has contacted the universities of London requesting that transmi...

UKRAINE: Take into custody of historian do research activities

Historian Russian Ability has been arrested by the security service of Ukraine, SBU, allegedly based on his research in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Ukrainian independence movement in 1940 and 1950, the Kyiv Post reported 17 September. Ability, head of the National Memorial Museum of Victims of the occupation regime, Thurman an Lonskoho Lvov, was arrested on 8 September 2010 and held for 14 hours after his laptop computer and two external hard disks seized . The SBU says Ability illegally gathered state secrets with the intent to distribute. More than 100 academics from around the world have signed a petition in favor of releasing Ability, and expressing their concern about access to information on the higher education system of Ukraine.

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