MINNEAPOLIS – Today NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education, issued a resolution urging the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately release Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari. Dr. Esfandiari directs the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and has been imprisoned in Tehran since May 8.
The association acted to approve the resolution at its annual business meeting, which took place today in Minneapolis as part of NAFSA’s 59th Annual Conference. More than 7,500 delegates from 104 countries are participating in this week’s conference.
“NAFSA today adds its voice to the many organizations, world leaders, and private citizens that have spoken out on behalf of Dr. Esfandiari. Her work is dedicated to strengthening the ties of openness, collaboration, and peace among nations and reflects the very best ideals of educational and cultural exchange,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson.
The full text of the resolution follows.
RESOLUTION
Urging the immediate release of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has imprisoned Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, a dual Iranian-American national, and has reportedly charged her with “seeking to topple the ruling Islamic establishment";
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari is director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, an internationally recognized center of learning and scholarship dedicated to free, open, and informed discussion;
Whereas the Woodrow Wilson Center is a nonpartisan organization that does not advocate for particular policies or seek particular policy outcomes;
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari’s work at the Woodrow Wilson Center is dedicated to ensuring the free exchange of ideas and scholarship between the Middle East, including Iran, and the United States;
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari’s academic work includes several years as a lecturer in Persian language and literature at Princeton University;
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari has traveled frequently to Iran to visit her mother, who is 93 years old, and that was the purpose of Dr. Esfandiari’s visit to Iran at the time of her arrest;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran confiscated Dr. Esfandiari’s travel documents, threatened her, interrogated her at great length, refused to permit her to leave the country and, on May 8, 2007, imprisoned her;
Whereas, according to the Woodrow Wilson Center, Dr. Esfandiari has fully answered all questions put to her by her interrogators to the best of her ability and has provided all the information that has been requested;
Whereas a letter by the director of the Woodrow Wilson Center to the President of Iran was not answered;
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari has been denied contact with her lawyer;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to produce any evidence to justify its allegations against Dr. Esfandiari;
Whereas NAFSA: Association of International Educators is an association of almost 10,000 international education professionals worldwide and is dedicated to advancing international education and exchange;
Whereas Dr. Esfandiari’s arrest and detention are entirely unjustified and a threat not only to her well-being, but also to educational exchange;
Whereas our colleague associations, including the Scholars at Risk Network, the Committee of Concerned Scientists, the International Society for Iranian Studies, the Middle East Studies Association, and Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, have expressed their concern regarding this situation;
Now, therefore, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, at its 59th Annual Conference—
(1) resolves that Dr. Esfandiari should be immediately released, along with all others detained in Iran for participating in peaceful and open scholarly, humanitarian, or journalistic activities, and permitted to return to her home; and
(2) requests that the Executive Director and CEO communicate this resolution to the appropriate parties.
May 31, 2007
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to international education.
