Feature Science & Society

What happens when governments crack down on scientists just doing their jobs?

Human rights take a back seat when state leaders try to control the narrative

fist illustration

Scientists can run into trouble when research results clash with government desires.

iStock/Getty Images Plus, adapted by E. Otwell

By Sujata Gupta

- More than 2 years ago

On a sunny day in March 2016, Turkish forensic physician Şebnem Korur Fincanci drove into Cizre, a town in southeastern Turkey.