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Haleh Esfandiari

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Haleh Esfandiari
Born(1940-03-03)March 3, 1940(age 84)
CitizenshipIranian,
American
SpouseShaul Bakhash
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
Academic work
InstitutionsCollege of Mass Communication in Tehran
Princeton University
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Haleh Esfandiari(Persian:هاله اسفندیاری) (born March 3, 1940) is anIranian-Americanacademic and former Director of the Middle East Program at theWoodrow Wilson International Center for ScholarsinWashington, D.C.Her areas of expertise include Middle Eastern women's issues, contemporary Iranian intellectual currents and politics, and democratic developments in theMiddle East.She was detained insolitary confinementatEvin PrisoninTehran,Iranfor more than 110 days from May 8 to August 21, 2007.[1]

Biography

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Esfandiari was born and grew up in Iran. She has lived in the United States since 1980, having left Iran with her husband and daughter because of the 1979Iranian Revolution.[2]She holds dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship.[3]

Esfandiari is married toShaul Bakhash,aJewishIranian-American professor of history and Persian studies atGeorge Mason University.[2]She met Bakhash in the early 1960s, when both were reporters at the Iranian newspaperKayhan.[2]They have a daughter and two granddaughters.[4]

Career

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Before Esfandiari left Iran, she had a career as a journalist and taught at the College of Mass Communication in Tehran. She was also Deputy Secretary General of the Women's Organization of Iran and she was responsible for several museums and art and cultural centers. She earned her Ph.D. at theUniversity of Vienna.[5]

In the United States, Esfandiari taught courses on Persian language, contemporary Persian literature and the women's movement in Iran atPrinceton Universityfrom 1980 to 1994. She was a fellow at the Wilson Center from 1995 to 1996.[5]She has served as director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center since 1997. She was also involved with the Wilson Center's collaboration with theRAND Corporation'sInitiative for Middle Eastern Youth.[6]

Esfandiari was a fellow at theNational Endowment for Democracyin its first year of fellowship program in 1995.[7]Esfandiari is a recipient of theMacArthur FoundationGrant.[5]She is known to have been close toFaiza (Faezeh) Hashemi Rafsanjani,an Iranian politician and a daughter ofAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,a former President of Iran.[8]Since 2011, Esfandiari has been a member of the board of the Peace Research Endowment.[9]

Works

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Esfandiari is the author of the bookReconstructed Lives: Women and Iran's Islamic Revolution(1997). In 2004, she co-wrote a paper for theWashington Institute for Near East Policy's Policy Watch Special Forum marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.[10]In April 2005, she contributed a piece forForeign Policy,titled "Iranian Woman Please Stand Up".[11]

Esfandiari's bookMy Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran[12]was published in September 2009.

Detention in Iran

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On December 30, 2006, Esfandiari was robbed at knifepoint by three men while on the way to the airport after visiting her ailing 93-year-old mother inTehran,Iran,whom she had visited approximately twice per year over the past decade. During this incident, the men threatened to kill her; then they stole her baggage and both her U.S. and Iranian passports. Consequently, she was not permitted to leave the country.[13]When she applied for new travel documents, she was instead barred from leaving Iran and interrogated over a period of six weeks by authorities from theIranian Ministry of Intelligence.These interrogations, which totaled approximately fifty hours, focused primarily on her work at the Wilson Center. During this time, she was allowed to return home each day, but "was pressured to make afalse confessionor to falsely implicate the Wilson Center in activities in which it had no part ".[14]On January 18, 2007, an interrogator and three other men (one holding a video camera) broke into her mother's apartment and entered Esfandiari's bedroom while she was taking an afternoon nap; they then took her laptop computer and other items.[15]

In early May, she was asked again to confess to having taken part in anti-government activities, which she refused to do.[16]On May 7, 2007, she was told to report to theMinistry of Intelligence.Upon her arrival there the next morning, she was taken into custody and driven to Tehran'sEvin Prison.[17]She was one of four dual U.S.-Iranian citizens to be detained by the Iranian government under similar circumstances in 2007, the others beingRadio FardacorrespondentParnaz Azima,Ali Shakeriof theCenter for Citizen Peacebuildingat theUniversity of California at Irvine,[18]andKian Tajbakhsh,an Iranian American consultant for theOpen Society Institute.A former FBI agent,Robert Levinson,has been missing in Iran since he disappeared in March 2007.[19]

During her detention at Evin Prison, Esfandiari was allowed to make one- or two-minute telephone calls to her mother most evenings, but was not permitted to have contact with her other family members.[20]On May 15, 2007,Iranian Judiciaryspokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi confirmed that Esfandiari was being investigated for crimes against national security and that her case was being handled by the Intelligence Ministry.[16]On May 21, 2007, Iran's state TV announced that the government of Iran had charged Esfandiari of seeking to topple that nation's ruling Islamic establishment. The Ministry of Intelligence said that Esfandiari had admitted during interrogation that her institute was funded by theSoros Foundation.[21]On May 29, 2007, one day after a rare high-level meeting between Iranian and U.S. officials, Iran announced that its judiciary had brought charges of "endangering national security through propaganda against the system and espionage for foreigners" against Esfandiari.[22]

Calls for release

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Until the announcement of Esfandiari's detention, both Bakhash and the Wilson Center chose not to publicize her case, hoping that by keeping quiet, her travel documents would eventually be returned and she would be allowed to return to the U.S. In February 2007, the Center's president, the formerU.S. RepresentativeLee H. Hamilton,sent letters to Iranian PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejadand Iran's ambassador to theUnited Nations,Javad Zarif,in which he asked for assistance in obtaining Esfandiari's release. Ahmadinejad did not reply, but Zarif "indicated that he wanted to be helpful".[23]

Following reports of her detention on May 9, 2007, both Bakhash and the Wilson Center gave statements to the press regarding the situation. Iran did not immediately confirm that Esfandiari is being detained. TheU.S. State Departmentcalled for her release.[24]On May 11, 2007, U.S. presidential candidatesHillary ClintonandBarack Obamaand three congresspeople, (Senators)Barbara Mikulski,Benjamin L. Cardin,and Rep.Chris Van Hollencalled for Esfandiari's release.[25]At that time two campaigns demanding the release of Esfandiari with petitions were initiated by theAmerican Islamic Congress[26]and the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.[27]

On May 15, 2007, U.S. SenatorsGordon H. Smithand Hillary Clinton introduced a resolution (S. RES. 199) calling for Esfandiari's immediate and unconditional release.[28]U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Ricealso called for Esfandiari's immediate release. On May 17, 2007, Iranian human rights activist and Nobel laureateShirin Ebadi,who has known Esfandiari for many years, called for Esfandiari's immediate release and announced that she would be acting as one of Esfandiari's attorneys, along withAbdolfattah Soltani.[29]The prosecutor of theIslamic Revolutionary Court,however, prevented Esfandiari from access to counsel, refused to provide detailed information regarding the charges against her, and refused on two occasions to allow her mother to visit her in prison.[30]Two days later, it was announced that theMiddle East Studies Association of North Americahad written to Ahmadinejad expressing concern over Iran's detention of Esfandiari and other scholars.[31]Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyprofessorNoam Chomskyissued a statement deploring Esfandiari's detention and calling it "a gift" to U.S. officials considering a future attack on Iran.[31]Juan Cole,a professor at theUniversity of Michiganand past president of theMiddle East Studies Association of North America,stated that he would boycott a conference in Iran which he had planned on attending in summer 2007, and called on other scholars to do the same.[31]

On May 22, 2007, U.S. RepresentativesChris Van Hollen,Tom Lantos,Elijah E. Cummings,Wayne T. Gilchrest,andGary Ackermanintroduced a resolution, H. RES. 430, which called for the Esfandiari's release.[32]On July 16, 2007, footage of Esfandiari appeared for the first time on a program entitledIn the Name of Democracy,aired on the Iranian state television channelIRIB.[33]Esfandiari was shown wearing a scarf and speaking inPersian.[34]

In approximately August 2007, Lee Hamilton sent an appeal on Esfandiari's behalf toSupreme Leader of IranAli Khamenei,mentioning her extensive efforts to explain Iran's history and culture. Hamilton received a rare, unsigned response from theayatollah's office stating that he would deal with the issue and that "necessary measures will be taken as soon as possible".[35]

Released on bail

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On August 21, 2007, Esfandiari was released on a US$333,000 bail, after her mother handed over the deed to her Tehran apartment.[36][37]Her passport was returned and she left Iran and flew to Austria on September 2.[38]In subsequent interviews she has stated that she was treated well while in captivity.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Menkes, Suzy (17 September 2013).""Iranian-American academic held in notorious Iran prison", 9 May 2007 ".International Herald Tribune.Retrieved26 September2013.
  2. ^abc"Family hears little from scholar Iran detains".St. Petersburg Times.Associated Press. May 27, 2007.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  3. ^Wright, Robin(May 31, 2007)."Md. Bank Freezes Funds of Scholar Jailed in Tehran".The Washington Post.p. A04.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  4. ^Wright, Robin(July 19, 2007)."Iranian TV Airs Video of Jailed American Scholar".The Washington Post.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  5. ^abc"Haleh Esfandiari".Wilson Center.RetrievedJune 24,2013.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^"Best Practices: Progressive Family Laws in Muslim Countries".RAND Corporation.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  7. ^"Past Fellows: Haleh Esfandiari (February–June 1995)".National Endowment for Democracy.Spring 1995. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2008.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  8. ^MacFarquhar, Neil(May 9, 2007)."Prominent Iranian-American Academic Is Jailed in Tehran".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  9. ^"Board".RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  10. ^Seener, Barak; Esfandiari, Haleh (February 27, 2004)."The 25th Anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution: Looking Back and Ahead".Washington Institute for Near East Policy.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  11. ^Esfandiari, Haleh (November 9, 2005)."Iranian Women Please Stand Up".Foreign Policy.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
  12. ^Esfandiari, Haleh (September 2009).My Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran.HarperCollins.ISBN978-0-06-158327-8.
  13. ^MacFarquhar, Neil (May 9, 2007)."Prominent Iranian-American Academic Is Jailed in Tehran".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  14. ^"Statement on the Arrest in Tehran of Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Middle East Program".Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.May 21, 2007.RetrievedOctober 30,2011.
  15. ^"Iranian-Americans Detained in Iran".The Diane Rehm Show.2007-05-24. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-21.Retrieved2008-12-01.
  16. ^ab"Reports from Tehran Indicate that Haleh Esfandiari Has Been Formally Charged with Espionage and Endangering Iranian Security".Wilsoncenter.org. June 11, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon June 5, 2011.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  17. ^Wright, Robin(2007-05-09)."Tehran Jails Iranian American Scholar After Long House Arrest".The Washington Post.p. A12.Retrieved2008-12-01.
  18. ^Powers, Ashley; Yvonne Villarreal (2007-05-26)."Popular businessman linked to UC Irvine is missing in Iran".Los Angeles Times.p. B-1.Retrieved2008-12-01.
  19. ^"Intrigue Surrounds Former FBI Agent Who Disappeared in Iran Two Months Ago".International Herald Tribune.Associated Press. 2007-05-10.Retrieved2007-05-13.
  20. ^MacFarquhar, Neil (May 22, 2007)."Iran Accuses American of Revolution Plot".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  21. ^"Iran accuses US-Iranian scholar".BBC News. 2007-05-22.Retrieved2008-12-01.
  22. ^Wright, Robin (May 30, 2007)."Americans in Iran Accused of Spying".Washington Post.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  23. ^Slavin, Barbara (2007-05-08)."Middle East scholar jailed in Iran".USA Today.Retrieved2010-05-04.
  24. ^Pelofsky, Jeremy; Sue Pleming (2007-05-09)."Academic from U.S. center arrested in Iran".Reuters.Retrieved2007-05-09.
  25. ^Wright, Robin (2007-05-11)."Lawmakers Call for Release of U.S. Scholar Held in Iran".Washington Post.Retrieved2007-05-13.
  26. ^United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2007-08-13)."Refworld | Iran: No decision on detained Iranian-Americans after inquiry".UNHCR.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  27. ^"Petitions - Petition to the Government of Iran to Free Haleh Esfandiari, Kian Tajbakhsh and Ali Shakeri".SPME. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-25.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  28. ^"Read The Bill: S. Res. 199 110th".GovTrack.us. 2007-05-15.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  29. ^Omestad, Thomas (2007-05-17)."Iran's 'Illegal' Jailing of an American Scholar".U.S. News & World Report.
  30. ^"Gulf Times – Qatar's top-selling English daily newspaper - Gulf/Arab World".Gulf-times.com. 2007-05-19.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  31. ^abcWright, Robin (2007-05-20)."Academics May Boycott Iran Over Scholar's Detainment".Washington Post.p. A20.
  32. ^"Read The Bill: H. Res. 430 (110th)".GovTrack.us.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  33. ^Fathi, Nazila (July 17, 2007)."Iran Puts Detained Scholars Before TV Cameras".New York Times.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
  34. ^"Iranian TV Shows Two Detained Iranian-Americans - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010".Rferl.org. 2007-07-16.Retrieved2010-05-07.
  35. ^"Iran releases detained American - CNN.com".CNN.2007-08-22.Retrieved2010-05-04.
  36. ^"Iran frees detained US academic".BBC News Online. 21 August 2007.
  37. ^Hossein Jaseb (2007-08-21)."Iran frees U.S. academic on bail".Reuters.
  38. ^Fathi, Nazila (September 3, 2007)."Scholar Accused of Spying Leaves Iran; Another Stays in Jail".New York Times.RetrievedOctober 26,2010.
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Video

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