Abbas Edalat, a British-Iranian professor at the Imperial College of London, has been arrested by security forces in Tehran, according to Iran's semiofficial news agency FARS.
Edalat was detained on April 15, 2018 and is believed to be in the custody of Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Reports suggests that Edalat's home in Tehran was raided by the IRGC, and his belongings, including his computer and notebooks, were confiscated.
On April 26 Iranian authorities acknowledged for the first time that they were holding Edalat. An Iranian official told FARS that, "A member of a British-backed spy network has been arrested recently, with alleged connections to the sedition and renegade currents."
Edalat is accused of being part of a British-affiliated, antiIran group that allegedly launched espionage operations and had contacts with leaders of mass antigovernment protests in 2009.
Endangered Scholars Worldwide is gravely concerned over Edalat's detention. We call for letters, emails, and faxes respectfully urging authorities in Iran to investigate the situation, to guarantee Edalat's well-being in custody, to ensure that any charges or convictions related to Edalat's peaceful exercise of protected human rights are lifted, and to address his case in a manner consistent with the internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, and detention in accordance with Iran's obligations under international law.
Please send correspondence to the following:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei The Office of the Supreme Leader Jomhouri Street Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran Fax: +98 21 644 11 Website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.Khamenei.ir Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary) Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran President Hassan Rouhani The Office of the President Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran Javad Zarif Minister of Foreign Affairs The Minister's Office Imam Khomeini Square Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran Fax: +98 21 66743149 Website: http://www.mfa.gov.ir Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jzarif Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Email: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
Kishore Singh United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Email: sreducation@ohchr.org David Kaye United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Fax: +41 22 917 9006 Email: freedex@ohchr.org Federica Mogherini High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy European Commission Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200 1049 Brussels Belgium Thorbjørn Jagland Secretary General of the Council of Europe Council of Europe Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex France Fax: + 33 3 88 41 27 99 Philippe Boillat Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law Council of Europe Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex France Fax: + 33 3 88 41 27 99