Session R07: Physicists and Human Rights

Andrei Sakharov Prize Talk: Parity in Our World and in Physics

It is an honor to be recognized along with human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, and to be associated in this manner with Andrei Sakharov whose work in Physics and peace is an inspiration. My work has focused on the idea of restoring parity, both in physics and in the world. \\ \\ In the real world we find that parity in opportunity or equality between the privileged and the under-privileged is badly broken. I will talk about efforts of human rights movements in India towards equitable, sustainable development, which have been on major fronts such as ensuring the voice of the underprivileged is represented in decision making on big projects that might have an impact on them, ensuring that public/government services such as those that end malnutrition, provide access to education and health care for all are implemented properly, and a safe environment with equal opportunity, that includes the opportunity to overcome historic injustices, is there for different castes, genders and religions. \\ \\In physics parity (P) can be restored very elegantly in the Minimal Left-Right Symmetric model. P is spontaneously broken so that $\nu_R$ gets a very high mass that could even be as high as $\leq 10^{15} GeV$. I find that if CP violation is also present in the leptonic Yukawa sector, this can induce too large a strong CP Phase (since both P and CP will now be violated in leptonic sector) in one loop. So leptonic CP violation ($\delta_{CP}$) must be absent in significant regions of this model. I will spend 10 minutes of my talk discussing this result that can test if parity is restored in nature, even if the scale of restoration is very, very high. \\ \\ It is interesting that one of Sakahrov’s conditions for baryogenesis is CP violation, and leptonic CP violation could help with this. But in ultra-violet completions of the Minimal Left-Right Symmetric model that solve the strong CP problem without axions, there can be other sources for CP violation.   

Andrei Sakharov Prize Talk: Prisoners of Conscience in Iran (Presented on behalf of Narges Mohammadi by Nayereh Tohidi)

For me, as a prisoner of conscience, it is uplifting and great honor to be recognized by esteemed scientists like yourselves and to be awarded the Andrei Sakharov Prize. I was filled with joy when studying quantum physics at the university as a means to understand the universe. However, at the same time, I was preoccupied with the oppressive conditions in my country and the tyranny suffered by our universities, intellectuals, and the media. What we experience in Iran is a tyranny that in the name of religion restricts and punishes science, intellect, and even love. It labels as a threat to national security and toxic to society whatever is not compatible with its political and economic interests. The power-holders who believe they stand above the law and who disregard justice and the urgent demands of the human conscience, use “white torture” on political prisoners; keeping suspects in solitary confinement is a routine and prevalent procedure. I am one of the thousands of the victims of such horrible tortures in solitary confinement. You are not hearing here some random ideas of a distressed prisoner, but reflections rooted in the experience of a woman physicist and a mother of two kids who happens to have also advocated for equal rights and human rights by being active in eleven civil society organizations in the last 25 years. As a result, I have been subjected to threats, deprivation, arrests, continuous prosecutions, and finally sentenced to a total of 23 years of imprisonment, 16 years of which has to be served based on the IRI’s ruling laws. The harsh treatment and excessive sentence were not due to any underground violent or terrorist activity on my part, but-- as admitted by the judges of this very system-- because of my insistence on the rights of civil society and on human rights. Iran is an oil and gas-rich country, but millions of Iranians are deprived of decent living standards. Mismanagement and corruption result in high rates of unemployment, widespread poverty and denial of people’s economic rights. I still hope and deeply believe that path to democracy in Iran lies not through violence, war, or military action by a foreign government, but through organizing and strengthening civil society institutions. Sitting here in my prison cell, I am humbled by the honor you have bestowed on me and I will continue my efforts until we achieve peace, tolerance for a plurality of views, and human rights.   

The Role of the Physicist in Human Rights

The Committee on the Intellectual Freedom of Scientists (CIFS) of the American Physical Society (APS) has been a proud defender of the human rights of scientists in the US and abroad since its formation in 1976. It is responsible for ``monitoring concerns of problems encountered by scientist in pursuit of their scientific interest or in effecting satisfactory communication with other scientists.'' This talk will focus on violations of these rights, particularly, in the 21st century. Some cases include: Omid Kokabee, an Iranian studying physics at the University of Texas-Austin who was in an Iranian prison for five years for refusing to engage in scientific research he deemed harmful to humanity; Wen Ho Lee, a Los Alamos researcher whose human rights were violated by the United States on accusations of spying for a foreign government; the current persecution of Turkish scientists and the inability of free travel of scientists between Israel and Palestine. Suggestions will also be made on how individuals can become involved in these issues.