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Iranian-American Academic Detained in Tehran

Dr Kian Tajbakhsh, a prominent Iranian-American social scientist, has been arrested at his home by Tehran authorities. The agents did not provide any legal justification for the arrest and took him to an undisclosed location. Dr Tajbakhsh had previously spent four months in prison in 2007 on charges of endangering national security.

The arrest comes amid high political tension in Iran. The family of Dr Tajbakhsh reportedly told the Associated Press that two Iranian security officials questioned him and his wife, searched the residence for three hours and then took him away along with two of his computers and other items. The family said no information was given about where Dr Tajbakhsh was taken.

Dr Tajbakhsh was held by authorities in 2007 after being charged along with three other Iranian-Americans with endangering national security. He was then a consultant with the Soros Foundation’s Open Society Institute, an organization that Iran has accused of trying to undermine the Iranian government.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

According to The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Tajbakhsh joins more than 240 other prominent Iranian lawyers, activists, journalists, professors, human rights defenders, and students who have been arrested without warrants at their homes or places of work by unidentified agents and taken to undisclosed locations.

NEAR would like to express its deep concern about the situation in Iran and the recent arrest of Dr Kian Tajbakhsh. An Action Alert will be released when more information becomes available.

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