Nominees for the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom (2025-2028)

Passent Moussa

I am a sociologist and human rights advocate with over a decade of experience working on human rights in the Middle East, I am deeply committed to the principles of academic freedom, freedom of expression, and the right to critical inquiry. My work examines authoritarianism, justice, and the structural and discursive barriers to rights in the region, with a strong focus on how these forces shape the lived realities of individuals and communities. I bring to this work an intersectional, feminist, and postcolonial lens, seeking not only to critique existing human rights frameworks, but also to reimagine them in ways that are attentive to power, marginality, and the legacy of coloniality.

I hold an MA in Human Rights and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Essex. My research is informed by both rigorous theoretical engagement and sustained practical collaboration with civil society actors across the MENA region. My current work at the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation in Support of Human Rights Defenders has enabled me to work closely with persecuted individuals and groups, including advocating for the release of imprisoned academics and the protection of intellectuals at risk.

Academic freedom is not only under siege in authoritarian contexts—it is also increasingly precarious within Western institutions. I welcome the opportunity to support and strengthen BRISMES’s efforts to uphold academic freedom as a cornerstone of democratic values and intellectual exchange.