© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Iran Accuses Iranian-American Scholar of Spying

Iran has charged a detained Iranian-American academic with seeking to topple the ruling Islamic establishment. Haleh Esfandiari, 67, director of the Middle East program at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, has been held at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison since early May.

As NPR's Michele Kelemen tells Robert Siegel, Esfandiari went to Iran in December to visit her 93-year-old mother. But at the end of her trip, she was prevented from leaving the country.

Before her imprisonment two weeks ago, Esfandiari was held under house arrest in Tehran for about five months. On Monday, Iranian television reported that she will be charged with trying to undermine the Islamic state.

Lee Hamilton, president of the Wilson Center, says Esfandiari is a scholar, not a spy. At a news conference Tuesday, he said, "There is of course not a shred, not a scintilla of truth to the allegations against her."

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content