Scientific research, academic freedom should not be threatened by unilateral sanctions: UN experts

GENEVA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A group of United Nations (UN) human rights experts on Thursday warned against expanding the application of unilateral sanctions into areas of scientific and academic research and publishing after reports that academic research submitted by authors from sanctioned countries were being disqualified.

"We are gravely concerned at the growing negative impact of existing sanctions regimes on academic and scientific research, as well as on initiatives of international academic cooperation, adversely affecting the participation of scholars and academics from sanctioned countries," the experts said in a joint statement.

The experts said they had received information on sanction-induced impediments to academic freedom and the right to benefit from scientific progress and its applications.

The experts made specific reference to the 2016 "Guidance on Certain Publishing Activities" issued by the United States Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the vague and complex interpretation of criteria for "authorized" publishing activities.

This has led certain publishing houses, editors and reviewers to over-comply and summarily reject submissions from sanctioned countries, even without preliminary review for fear of repercussions, including personal liability, they said.

The experts said they have communicated their concerns to the U.S. government and to several publishing companies to seek clarifications on this matter, and are yet to receive a response.

The experts that signed Thursday's joint statement are: Alena Douhan, UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights; Obiora C. Okafor, independent expert on human rights and international solidarity; Alexandra Xanthaki, special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; and Saad Alfarargi, special rapporteur on the right to development.