Cryptography Expert Ousted Over Pro-Palestine Advocacy
- Cryptography Expert Ousted Over Pro-Palestine Advocacy
Renowned cryptographer Çetin Kaya Koç says he was removed from key academic roles due to his outspoken support for Palestinian rights. Springer Nature dropped him as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cryptographic Engineering, and the International Association for Cryptologic Research removed him from the CHES steering committee—both unpaid, voluntary roles he helped establish.
Koç said neither organization specified which social media posts led to the decisions, only citing “company values.” He believes the removals reflect a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices. “They’re politely humiliating you,” he said. “What’s happening is genocide.”
He also pointed to similar cases, such as Harvard’s removal of Prof. Cemal Kafadar, suggesting a pattern of quiet retaliation against those who speak out.
This comes amid growing repression of Palestine advocacy in academia. A FIRE report found over 1,000 U.S. students or groups disciplined for such speech since 2020, with 63% punished.