August 2024, Warsaw, Poland

Open Letter to the Government of Nigeria

Urgent Appeal for the Immediate Release of Detained Polish Academics and the Protection of Academic Freedom

To whom it may concern,

We, the undersigned members of the international academic community, are writing to you with grave concern regarding the recent arrest and detention of seven Polish nationals in Nigeria, including academics and students. According to the official reports, these individuals were arrested around August 5, 2024, in Kano State, falsely accused of raising Russian flags during protests. We wish to express our firm conviction that these individuals are innocent of any wrongdoing and to emphasize the critical importance of safeguarding academic freedom and principles of justice.

Academics and students play an indispensable role in promoting intellectual growth, cultural exchange, and international understanding. Their work often involves observation, research, and exposure to diverse perspectives - activities that should not be misconstrued as political advocacy or provocation. The detention of these Polish scholars in these circumstances is deeply troubling, as it suggests a misunderstanding of their academic roles and the context in which they were present.

It is important to emphasize that the detained Polish nationals are students and academics, not political actors. Their presence in Nigeria was motivated by academic pursuits, not any intention to interfere in local politics or engage in actions that could be construed as provocative. Treating these individuals as scapegoats for broader geopolitical tensions is unjust and harmful to Nigeria's international standing.

In light of the preceding, we respectfully but urgently call on the Nigerian government to

• Ensure the immediate release of the detained Polish academics and students: Recognize their innocence in this matter and facilitate their safe and prompt return to their home country.
• Reaffirm commitment to academic freedom: Demonstrate Nigeria's commitment to protecting the rights of all academics by ensuring that they can carry out their work freely and without fear of persecution.
• Promote a fair and transparent judicial process: If legal concerns are associated with these arrests, we urge the government to ensure that any proceedings are conducted fairly and by international legal standards.
• Encourage international academic cooperation: Continue to support and encourage academic exchanges and collaborations that contribute to the mutual benefit of Nigeria and the global community.

Taking these actions will remedy the current situation and reaffirm Nigeria's commitment to uphold academic freedom and human rights. A swift and just resolution of this matter is essential to maintaining the trust and cooperation that are the hallmarks of productive international relations.

If you would like your name to appear on the printed version of the letter, please contact Maciej Bieńkowski (maciej.bienkowski@psych.uw.edu.pl) and Jakub Możaryn (jmozaryn@gmail.com).

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.

Sincerely,

Maciek Bieńkowski, PhD Student, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw

Dr Jakub Możaryn, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Mechatronics, Institute of Automatic Control and Robotics, Warsaw University of Technology

Zuza Wiorogórska, PhD, assistant professor, Faculty of Journalism Information and Book Studies, University of Warsaw

Jon Hamner Magerøy, PhD, Researcher, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Norway

Brunon Malicki, M.sc, PhD Stipendiat, University of Oslo, Norway

Dr Sylwia Chutnik, Center For Research on Culture of Warsaw, University of Warsaw, Poland. Writer and activist

Dr Bolaji Balogun, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK.

Łukasz Kutyło, PhD, assistant professor, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Łódź, Poland

Dr Dominika Bulska, post-doc, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland

Barbara Ober-Domagalska, PhD, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Łódź, Poland

Professor Mirosław Kofta, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Psychology & Institute for Social Studies, Warsaw, Poland

Dr Aniela Czudek, Faculty of Physics, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland

Zander Venter, PhD, Researcher, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research – NINA, Norway

Andrzej Mencwel, prof. dr hab. (em.), University of Warsaw, Poland

dr hab. Agnieszka Korytkowska, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Collegium Civitas, Poland

Grzegorz Gauden, journalist, Poland

Krystyna Janda, actress, Poland

Anda Rottenberg, art historian and critic, Poland

Danuta Kuroń, historian, activist, Poland

Monika Płatek, University of Warsaw, Poland

Dr Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland

Elżbieta Petrajtis-O’Neill, Open Republic, Association against Antisemitism and Xenophobia, Poland 

Andrzej Leder, PhD, professor, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Agata Hummel, PhD, Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw, Poland

Adam Ziółkowski, professor, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw, Poland.

Tomasz Rakowski, PhD, Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw, Poland.

Helena Datner,  historian, sociologist, Warsaw, Poland

prof. zw. dr hab. Przemysław Czapliński, Faculty of Polish and Classic Philology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland

Joanna Olech, writer, Poland

Ks. Prof. Dr hab. Alfred Wierzbicki, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland

Magdalena Tulli, writer, Poland

Jacek Kleyff, poet, singer, Poland

Michał Matuszewski, Phd candidate, University of Warsaw, Poland

Andrzej Titkow, film director, poet, Poland

Janina Ochojska, founder of Polish Humanitarian Action: former member of European Parliament

Justyna Kowalska-Leder, PhD, University of Warsaw, Poland

dr hab. Anna Engelking, Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences

Andrzej Seweryn, Teatr Polski, Poland

Maniucha Bikont, singer, songwritter, anthropologist, Artes Liberales, Warsaw University, Poland

Maja Ostaszewska, actress, Poland

Kim Stanley Robinson, writer, USA

Anna Beata Bohdziewicz, photographer, Poland

Manuela Panzacchi, Senior Research Scientist, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research – NINA, Norway

Bram Van Moorter, Senior Research Scientist, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research – NINA, Norway

Sergiusz Kowalski, sociologist, Poland

Agnieszka Holland, film director and screenwriter, Poland

Mikołaj Grynberg, photograper and writer, Poland

Magdalena Łazarkiewicz, screenwriter and film director, Poland

Hanna Machińska, Poland