Nobel laureates appeal for Binayak Sen’s release

February 9, 2011

Following the lead of Professor Amartya Sen, 40 other Nobel laureates from twelve different countries have given a call for the release of Dr. Binayak Sen on bail. They refer to the jailed paediatrician and rights activist as \"an exceptional, courageous and selfless colleague, dedicated to helping those in India who are least able to help themselves\". Ninety-one year old French scientist François Jacob (Nobel Prize 1965) is the senior-most laureate in the group, which has several scientists and medical laureates, including Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009). Among the signatories are Joseph Murray, who pioneered kidney transplantation and Samuel Blumberg who discovered the hepatitis B virus and devised both the diagnostic test and vaccine for it. In their appeal, the laureates \"entreat... leaders to act now, to urge Dr. Sen's immediate release on bail, and insist that this time his appeal is heard without delay under the highest standards of Indian law.\"



Full text of the appeal:



We, the 40 undersigned Nobel Laureates, respectfully express our astonishment and dismay at the unjust life sentence handed down last month in India to a fellow scientist and human rights advocate, 61-year-old Dr. Binayak Sen.



We note that, when Dr. Sen was on trial in 2008 and many of us appealed for his release on bail, a year later the Supreme Court of India concurred with our opinion and ordered his immediate release. Several months after voicing our concern about Dr. Sen's detention, one of us traveled to Chhattisgarh; met government officials; consulted Dr. Sen's family, lawyers, and colleagues; visited his remote clinic to learn more about his selfless work with the Adivasis; and, after a few days and many hours spent waiting in the Raipur prison yard, finally met with Dr. Sen himself in the presence of the prison warden.



We have seen that Dr. Sen is an exceptional, courageous, and selfless colleague, dedicated to helping those in India who are least able to help themselves. Yet his recompense has been two years in prison under difficult conditions, a blatantly unfair trial lasting two years in the so-called "Fast Track" Sessions Court, an unjust conviction of sedition and conspiracy, and condemnation to life imprisonment.



We earnestly hope that our renewed appeal is heard. We know that there are leaders in India who have the power, humanity, patriotism, and decency to speak out against this injustice. We entreat those leaders to act now, to urge Dr. Sen's immediate release on bail, and insist that this time his appeal is heard without delay under the highest standards of Indian law.



Surely, those who would see the largest democracy in the world survive and thrive can do no less at this crucial time for both Dr. Sen and for the future of justice in India.



Signatories:



Peter Agre, (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2003), Kenneth J. Arrow ( Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 1972), Richard Axel (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2004), David Baltimore (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1975), Martin Chalfie (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2008), Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997), Robert Curl (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1996), Johann Deisenhofer (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1988), Richard R. Ernst (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1991), Edmond H. Fischer (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1992), Walter Gilbert (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1980), Roy J. Glauber (Nobel Prize in Physics, 2005), Paul Greengard (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2000), David J. Gross (Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004), Roger Guillemin (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1977), Dudley Herschbach (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986), Antony Hewish (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1974), H. Robert Horvitz (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2002), François Jacob (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1965), Daniel Kahneman (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2002), Eric R. Kandel (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2000), Lawrence R. Klein (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 1980), Roger D. Kornberg (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2006), Sir Harold W. Kroto (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1996), Finn E. Kydland (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2004), Yuan T. Lee (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986), Rita Levi-Montalcini (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1986), Roderick MacKinnon (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2003), Sir James Mirrlees (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 1996), Joseph E. Murray (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1990), Douglas D. Osheroff (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1996), John C. Polanyi (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986), V. Ramakrishnan (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2009), Sir Richard Roberts (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1993), Jens C. Skou (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1998), Jack Steinberger (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1988), Sir John Sulston (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2002), Charles H. Townes (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1964), Klaus von Klitzing (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1985), Torsten N. Wiesel (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1981),


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