Hundreds of academics have signed an open letter calling on Ghent University in Belgium to protect from punishment Nathan Cofnas, the postdoctoral researcher and self-described “race realist” who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarizing parts of his Ph.D. thesis.

Nathan Cofnas, an academic specialising in the philosophy of biology, was stood down from his position at Ghent University on Thursday.

Hundreds of academics have signed an open letter calling on Ghent University in Belgium to protect from punishment Nathan Cofnas, the postdoctoral researcher and self-described…