Ramin Jahanbeglou

Ramin Jahanbeglou "was jailed for a period, after he spent time at the National Endowment for Democracy".

"Ramin Jahanbegloo was a NED Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow from October 2001-August 2002.

"Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo's project focused on the role of Iranian intellectuals in promoting Iranian democracy, including the attitudes of youth and young professionals in Iran today. A scholar-activist trained in France, he continues to publish in Iranian journals and organize conferences introducing Western ideas of democracy into Iranian public discourse. While in the United States, Dr. Jahanbegloo gave many lectures and presentations to American policy and academic audiences."

"On May 5, 2006, Human Rights Watch issued a statement calling for an immediate release of the scholar and Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action Appeal. On May 11, 2006, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating that “the arrest of Professor Jahanbegloo offends international standards of academic freedom” and calling for his immediate release. Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister, Mohammad Hoseyn Saffar-Harandi, said that he would try to win Ramin Jahanbegloo’s release if at all possible."

Writing in July 2006, IFEX notes that:


 * "Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie accused Jahanbegloo on 3 July 2006 of "taking part in a US attempt to carry out a velvet revolution in Iran." A few days later, Tehran chief prosecutor Said Mortazavi named Hassan Hadad - a judge who has had many journalists arrested and who, according to some sources, was a torturer in Evin prison in the 1980s - as deputy prosecutor in charge of security issues...


 * "A total of 12 journalists and bloggers are currently detained in Iran. They include Mana Neyestani, Mehrdad Qassemfar, Orouj Amiri, Ali Hamed Iman and Abolfazel Vessali, who have been held for months while their lawyers have not been allowed to visit them in prison or see their case files."

Related Sourcewatch

 * Hossein Bashiriyeh
 * Siamak Namazi
 * Ladan Boroumand