Friday, August 24, 2007

Iranian-American Scholar Released on Bail

AT is pleased to report the release this week of Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari, 67, who had been jailed by Iranian authorities for alleged anti-government activities.

Ms. Esfandiari, the director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, still faces a high bail and other obstacles before she can leave Tehran.

Regular readers of AT may remember an earlier post on Ms. Esfandiari's incarceration, in which we noted that she was one of four scholars jailed recently by the Iranians.

In a photograph published in the New York Times, Ms. Esfandiari looked tired and thin. She had been held in solitary confinement for more than 100 days.

As a matter of principle, we at AT believe in intellectual freedom and the right of scholars, writers, artists and other citizens to express their political views without state harassment or interference.

1 comment:

Savage Baptist said...

...we at AT believe in intellectual freedom and the right of scholars, writers, artists and other citizens to express their political views without state harassment or interference.

Well, shoot, we agree on something. I would add a small caveat to the effect that a scholar teaching in a publicly-funded institution ought not to be expressing personal political views during class time.

Not that that was the issue here, just thought I'd throw it in.