Nearly 7,000 Russian scientists, mathematicians and academics on Thursday sent an open letter to President Vladimir Putin to protest “energetically” against the war in Ukraine.
“We, scientists and science journalists working in Russia, vigorously protest against the military invasion of Ukraine launched by the Russian army” a week ago, they wrote in a letter published by the news website trv-science.ru.
The letter’s more than 6,900 signatories face fines or prison terms under legislation passed a few years ago that allows Russian authorities to prosecute any citizen who criticizes the government.
This week, the Russian parliament began discussions on a bill that would tighten sanctions against those who oppose the war in Ukraine.
“Humanistic values ​​are the foundation on which science is built. The many years dedicated to consolidating Russia’s reputation as an important mathematical center were completely frustrated by the unprecedented military aggression carried out by our country”, lament the scientists.
The International Congress of Mathematicians, the “most prestigious mathematics conference in the world”, which was to take place in Russia in July, has been cancelled, they denounce.
In his opinion, the goal of becoming a great scientific nation “cannot be achieved when the lives of our closest colleagues – Ukrainian scientists – are in danger from the Russian army”.
“We are convinced that no geopolitical interest can justify the killings and bloodshed. War will only lead to the total loss of our country, for which we work,” they added.
