ASA Committee Protects Rights, Freedom of Scientists Around the World

Science is a disciplined pursuit of truth for the benefit of all people. Unfortunately, there are times when some seek to marginalize the findings of science and silence the scientists. When this happens, the ASA’s Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights supports, directs, and organizes the defense of scientists through a variety of channels and actions. The mission of the CSFHR is to address violations of and threats to the scientific freedom and human rights of statisticians and other scientists throughout the world.

The need for this global mission has seldom been greater than it is today. The rise of authoritarian regimes has led to an increase in situations in which statistical science is marginalized—often through official government channels—putting statisticians at risk. In January, Stats4Good’s annual Challenge List named the rights, independence, and freedom of statisticians and their work as a top issue in human rights for 2025. This month, I will take a closer look at the CSFHR’s work of protecting statistics and statisticians.

The CSFHR first began in the late 1970s in response to the disappearance of Carlos Noriega, who had previously served as director of the Argentine national statistical office and was then working with the United Nations in Peru. In Argentina, Noriega had come under pressure to alter official government statistics. The ad hoc committee formed by the ASA around these events evolved into the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights. The committee continues to respond today to instances in which statisticians are pressured by governments to tamper with official statistics.

A recent example is that of the economist Andreas Georgiou, who was brought in by the Greek government to modernize the national statistics, ELSTAT, and bring it in line with EU standards. Georgiou came under fire for publishing corrections to previously published statistics, even including criminal prosecution on politically motivated charges. The CSFHR responded in collaboration with statistics and human rights organizations around the world to advocate for Georgiou. The program included increasing public awareness of the professional pressure and legal actions taken against him, scientific verification of the quality of his work, and governmental advocacy, including a petition signed by more than 600 people and 40 organizations.

Advocacy for statistics and statisticians extends beyond cases of governments attacking the messenger and their analytics. For example, the committee provided support, mentoring, and advocacy for a statistician named Johnny Dell Pippins. In 2017, Pippins was a new student member of the ASA seeking a master’s degree under unusual circumstances; he was incarcerated. After Pippins reached out through ASA Connect, the CSFHR took up support for his cause. Pippins completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics through distance learning but was unable to continue without a change in his circumstances. In 2021, ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein wrote to Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker to petition for clemency to allow him to enter a PhD program. After petitions from many individuals and organizations, Pippins was granted clemency in 2023, started his PhD program, and was able to join CSFHR members at a panel presentation at JSM last year.

The mission of the CSFHR is wide and embraces not only the rights of scientists but all human rights. An example of this is the current initiative on analytic support for refugees. The CSFHR was alerted to the plight of refugees around the world by longtime ASA member and Data for Good advocate David Banks. This led to new research and, this year at JSM, there will be an invited paper session from the CSFHR on statistical methods for research on refugees and displaced persons in conflict zones.

The work of the committee isn’t restricted to its members, either. The CSFHR needs your help identifying dangers to the security and freedom of scientists. When threats are identified, you can partner with the CSFHR to support threatened statisticians, increase public awareness, and write your elected representatives to advocate for their defense. In the present global environment, the need has seldom been greater, making the support and defense of statisticians one of the most important avenues in Data for Good today.

David Corliss

With a PhD in statistical astrophysics, David Corliss works as a data scientist in industry. He serves on the ASA Board as a Council of Chapters representative and is the founder of Peace-Work, a data for good nongovernmental organization.