The Targeted Killing of Scientists Must Stop

Why This Matters

Scientists around the world perform critical work for their countries, executing policies defined by their governments. Recent targeted killings of scientists and their families by intelligence agencies represent a dangerous precedent for the global scientific community.

Throughout history, even during the darkest conflicts, scientists have not been targeted for assassination. Nazi scientists were recruited through Operation Paperclip, not killed. Oppenheimer and his colleagues, despite creating weapons of mass destruction, were never assassinated. Scientists execute policy. They do not detonate bombs.

Today, over 200,000 scientists work on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs worldwide. If targeted killings become normalized, no scientist will be safe. The international community must act now to establish clear protections before it's too late.

The academic community has remained largely silent on this issue. This petition calls for governments and international agencies to adopt protocols and amendments to existing frameworks that explicitly protect scientists during wartime and conflict.