“..their cases point to a disturbing trend: People with connections to the West, particularly scholars, are being fingered as part of a vast conspiracy aimed at toppling the regime. Countless other Iranians, some of them dual nationals but many of them not, have also had their passports seized. Iran’s civil society–women’s rights activists, unionists, students, journalists–has been the larger casualty of this crackdown.”

To read the full article, click here

Several prominent intellectuals, philosophers and jurists have signed a petition on behalf of Haleh Esfandiari. It is being circulated by the New York Review of books. It will appear in the June 27 issue of the Review.

The arbitrary detention and confinement of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, a prominent Iranian-American scholar and the director of the Middle East program at the nonpartisan Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., is the latest distressing episode in an ongoing crackdown by the Islamic Republic against those who, directly or indirectly, strive to bolster the foundations of civil society and promote human rights in Iran.

To read the full letter of petition, please CLICK HERE

Syrian journalist Manar Al-Rashwani wrote an article in the Jordanian Al-Ghad magazine exploring Haleh’s arrest and deploring the detention of such a prominent intellectual.

Esfandiari’s arrest looked more like a kidnapping made by outlaws than it was an arrest made by a state governed by laws. How else can this detention be described? After all Esfandiari has endured four months of interrogations, which started only after her American and Iranian passports were stolen.

For the full text of the article in Arabic, CLICK HERE

In its measure lawmakers demand the immediate release of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari. House lawmakers say Iranian intelligence officials have yet to produce any evidence of wrongdoing on Esfandiari’s part to justify actions against her, and demand her immediate and unconditional release.

“We must remain resolute in our condemnation of the Iranian regime for detaining innocent American citizens for political purposes and demand that the Iranian regime immediately and unconditionally permit all American citizens detained in Iran against their will, to leave,” said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

“Their detention is a gross perversion of the rule of law, and the claim that the Iranian government has made that they seek dialogue and improved relations with the west, is belied by the actions they have taken with respect to these individuals,” said Chris Van Hollen.

To read the full text of the resolution at the Library of Congress site, please CLICK HERE

On Thursday, top global leaders gathered in Vienna for a conference entitled: “Women Leaders Networking for Peace and Security in the Middle East.” Haleh Esfandiari’s sister and Cheryl Benard were there to hand-deliver an appeal for international action on Haleh’s behalf.

Some of the participants included: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Iraqi First Lady Hero Talabani; the Bahraini President of the United Nations General Assembly, Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa; Pakistani Minister of Women’s Affairs Sumaira Malik; Palestinian Authority representative Hanan Ashrawi; EU Commissioner of External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner; Algerian Minister for Scientific Research Souad Bendjaballah; UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen AbuZayd; and Nouzha Chekrouni of the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

Here is the text of the letter delivered to these leaders:

Our respected colleague and dear friend Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year old social scientist educated at the University of Vienna, Austria, currently the director of the Middle East program at the Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., is being held in Evin Prison in Teheran.

Dr. Esfandiari, a U.S. and Iranian citizen, went to Teheran in December 2006 to visit her 93 year old, ailing mother. Thereafter she was prevented from leaving and subjected to a series of interrogations over a period of months. Twenty three days ago, she was jailed. She has not been permitted to see a lawyer or to receive any visits.

Dr. Esfandiari is well known internationally for her tireless work on behalf of the democratic participation of women. In her seminars, women from all parts of the world have learned the skills of leadership and civic engagement. Additionally, she has been a strong advocate of cross-cultural dialogue and constructive debate. Her seminars and conferences are of the highest academic caliber.

We ask you to take all possible action to obtain the release of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari; to raise the matter with your Iranian counterparts; and to make clear that the political education and enfranchisement of women must not be a cause for persecution.

In a letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamene’i, former students of Haleh’s wrote of their experiences in her classes where they learned to appreciate Iranian culture, history, and literature. In the letter the students also requested Haleh’s release from prison.

Her entire career as a scholar and a teacher has been spent building bridges of understanding between Americans and Iranians. The actions of the government of Iran strain that understanding.

As her former students, we hope that you will consider the goodwill she has built for Iran and preserve that tremendous asset. We ask you to intervene for her release from Evin prison and allow her to return to her family and students in America.

For the full text of the letter please click here

Haleh has now been in jail for nearly four weeks. While her condition in Evin Prison remains unknown, over 5,050 people from around the world have sent letters to Iranian leaders calling for Haleh’s immediate release.

Many of those 5,000+ individuals have chosen to make their names public, and the full list can be found here. The diversity of the individuals who have signed shows the strength of our campaign. People of conscience of many different backgrounds have one common cry: Free Haleh!

If you have not already, please take a minute to join the campaign and send a letter on Haleh’s behalf.

In a widely circulated editorial, columnist Thomas L. Friedman comments on the wrongful imprisonment of Haleh;

I thought this regime was powerful and self-confident, and actually felt strengthened since we destroyed its two main enemies — the Taliban and Saddam. That could not be further from the truth. This Iranian regime is afraid of its shadow. How do I know? It recently arrested a 67-year-old grandmother, whom it accused of trying to bring down the regime by organizing academic conferences!

Read the full EDITORIAL HERE