Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has formally charged Haleh with with espionage and “endangering national security through propaganda against the system.” The Wilson Center’s President and Director, Lee Hamilton, had the following to say:

We are extremely disheartened to receive this news, Haleh is a scholar. The work she does at the Wilson Center is open, non-partisan, and includes a broad range of views. At the Wilson Center, we do not take positions on issues, but rather, we bring all sides of an issue together for dialogue.

As director of the Middle East Program, Haleh ensured that there was an open dialogue and that she convened meetings which allowed participants and attendees to discuss all views. We do not engage in propaganda. The Wilson Center receives zero funding from the U.S. government’s fund to promote democracy in Iran. Her detention is an affront to the rule of law and common decency.

Please visit the Woodrow Wilson Center website here for more information