Press Release | New BRISMES report warns of growing threats to academic freedom in the UK, Europe and the Middle East

First annual report documents restrictions on free expression, attacks on universities, and repression of scholars across multiple countries.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

London, 5 August 2026

The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) has today published its first annual report on Restrictions on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression in and Concerning the Middle East and North Africa, documenting a growing range of threats facing scholars, students and universities between January 2025 and May 2026.

The report, produced by the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF), analyses the 28 cases in which the Committee intervened during the reporting period. It documents 20 cases of different forms of restrictions on lawful academic and political expression in the United Kingdom and Europe, all but two of which concern Israel-Palestine, and 8 cases of more severe forms of repression in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report concludes that, although the forms of repression differ across contexts, they share a common effect: narrowing the space in which scholars, students and public intellectuals can research, teach, speak and debate freely. One striking finding is the use, across both Europe and the Middle East, of counter-terrorism and national security frameworks, alongside claims about societal or community “safety,” to justify restrictions on academic freedom and freedom of expression. 

In the United Kingdom and Europe, the report documents cases involving the cancellation of academic events, disciplinary proceedings against students and staff, restrictions on teaching materials, professional repercussions raising concerns about political discrimination, and wider pressures affecting debate on Israel–Palestine. It argues that the cumulative effect of these developments risks creating a chilling effect on scholarship and teaching, particularly with regards to criticisms of Israeli state policies and conduct in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the report documents cases involving the detention and prosecution of scholars and public intellectuals, confiscation of research materials, intimidation of independent educational initiatives, and military attacks on universities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon and Iran. It also highlights the urgent need to support scholars at risk and to rebuild higher education systems devastated by war. 

The report emphasises that academic freedom cannot be understood in isolation from freedom of expression, freedom of association and the right to education. It argues that attacks on educational institutions, restrictions on scholarly work and the criminalisation of peaceful expression undermine not only individual academics but also the wider production and exchange of knowledge in European societies and in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report includes recommendations for universities and research institutions, governments and public authorities, international organisations and scholarly associations. It calls on universities and research institutions to strengthen protections for academic freedom, on governments to refrain from criminalising peaceful scholarly and political activity and to facilitate safe pathways for scholars at risk, on international organisations to improve monitoring and accountability for attacks on educational institutions, and on scholarly associations to engage in documenting violations and supporting academics facing repression.

The report also highlights the increasingly international nature of academic freedom. Pressures on universities, attacks on scholars and restrictions on academic collaboration frequently cross national borders, making international solidarity and coordinated responses more important than ever.

Key findings include:

• Growing use of disciplinary procedures and administrative measures to restrict lawful expression in UK and European universities.
• Increasing political pressure on universities and research institutions in the UK and Europe concerning scholarship and debate on Israel–Palestine.
• Continued detention and prosecution of scholars and public intellectuals in the Middle East.
• Targeted military attacks on universities and educational infrastructure during armed conflict.
• The urgent need to expand sanctuary opportunities for scholars at risk and support the reconstruction of higher education systems devastated by war. 

Chair of the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom and BRISMES Co-Vice President, Dr Lewis Turner, said:

"Universities exist to pursue knowledge, question orthodoxies and examine difficult issues through evidence and debate. When scholars or students are prevented from speaking, researching or teaching freely, it is not only individual rights that suffer; society loses an essential space for independent inquiry and democratic accountability."

ENDS