UCU Glasgow stands in solidarity with Professor Joseph Daher who has been denied a renewal of his contract as a visiting professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) despite his course being scheduled for the next term and his supervision of Master’s students.

Prof Daher has been subject to a smear campaign from French- and German-speaking Swiss press in connection with his defence of fundamental human rights and his commitment to supporting the demands of UNIL students mobilized around the Palestinian cause. UNIL has chosen to act punitively instead of affirming their stance for freedom of academic expression.

As Prof Daher notes “The arbitrary measures against me by the UNIL management are indeed part of a more general political context of pressure, repression and criminalization against academics and individuals engaged in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and with the defence of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.”

This repression has been noted in our own academic institutions where we have witnessed a surge in reports at Higher Education institutions across the UK of threats of disciplinary action against student activists and shutdown of student societies involved in the pro-Palestinian movement.

This has included recent actions at the University of Glasgow where students were banned from campus for participation in protest – now revoked – and the unlawful dismissal of staff as we have seen in the landmark case of Professor David Miller at the University of Bristol.

We ask our members and all those in academia to stand against these tactics of intimidation and sign this petition calling for Prof Daher’s immediate reinstatement.