The European Commission is under investigation after suppressing a groundbreaking study to promote democracy and human rights in Guinea-Bissau, allegedly to curry favor with the West African country’s authoritarian leader.
A highly unusual inquiry has been launched by the European Ombudsman following a protest from a Paraguay-based research center, which was paid by Brussels to produce the academic work — only for the commission to then prevent it being sold, severely curtailing its publication and availability.
Nearly 500 scholars, journalists, and civic leaders from 45 countries have signed a petition attacking “infringements of academic freedom” and demanding the EU “lift all restrictions” imposed on the book titled “Voices of the People.”
About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.