Endangered Scholars Worldwide

Endangered Scholars Worldwide IRAN SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE THE SITUATION IN IRAN HAS WORSENED. According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, over 90 students were arrested and many more suspended in order to forestall protests in the run up to National Student Day (December 7). On the day itself, Tehran police reported that they arrested 204 demon­ strators. Over the following days, clashes continued at the universities, where militiamen set up impromptu occupations and violently attacked students. Chief prosecutor Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei was reported by Iranian news agencies to declare that “from now on, we will show no mercy toward anyone who acts against national security.” These recent escalations come at a time when many of those arrested last June continue to languish in jail, while new arrests continue every month, k i a n t a j b a k h s h , the former New School professor and Social Research contributor for whom we organized a peti­ tion signed by 1,200 people over the summer, was sentenced to up to 15 years by a closed military tribunal on October 20 on bogus charges of “acting against national security.” He was denied the right to appeal, repeatedly denied access to his lawyer, and continues to be held in soli­ tary confinement in Evin Prison. Since his sentencing he has also been brought before the courts on supplem ental charges ofespionage based on emails he wrote to Middle East specialists on the Gulf 2000 list, an open research forum that includes hundreds of academics, diplomats, and journalists. m o h a m m e d m a l e k i , the former Chancellor ofTehran University, and b i j a n k h a j e p o u r -k h o u e i , an economist and Social Research Information current, to the best ofour knowledge, as of December 10, 2009. Endangered Scholars W orldwide v contributor, both also featured in our previous issue, continue to be held in prison without charges. Dr Maleki suffers from prostate cancer, and his family and lawyer have noted a severe worsening of his health since his arrest, while Khajepour-Khouei, of whom there has be no word since his arrest, suffers from diabetes. In addition to these impris­ oned scholars, s a e e d l a y l a z , an Iranian economist and a professor at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, was sentenced to nine years in prison on December 1, convicted of maintaining ties with foreigners and working to overthrow the government, c l o t h i l d e r e i s s , a French graduate student who was arrested and accused of spying after taking photographs of the protests in June, remains released on bail awaiting trial. Other scholars featured in previous issues who remain in prison in Iran include: f a r z a d k a m a n g e r , a Kurdish Iranian teacher sentenced to death in February 2008 on charges of “endangering national secu­ rity”; d r . m o s t a f a a l a v i , an Iranian doctor and researcher sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in August 2008 for “plotting against the regime”; d r s . a r a s h and k a m i a r a l a e i , two AIDS researchers who were sentenced to three and six years in January 2009 for “seeking to overthrow the Iranian government”; and b e h r o o z j a v i d -t e h r a n i , a student activist and prisoners rights campaigner arrested in 2005 for membership of an illegal organization. All of these people are being held in life-threatening conditions and need your support. Appeals to: His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei Leader of the Islamic Republic The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic Republic StreetShahid Keshvar Doust Street Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran E-mail: info@leader.ir Salutation: Your Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Head of the Judiciaiy Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., South...