Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Contact Information
    • History
    • Leadership
  • CCS Active Case Updates
  • Human Rights Resources
    • Human Rights Orgs
    • General HR Res
    • US Govt Agencies
  • Related Articles
    • Australia Issues
    • Africa Issues
    • Asia Issues
    • Eastern Europe
    • Middle East Issues
    • North America Issues
    • South America
    • Western Europe
  • Donations

British-Iranian Citizen Detained In Iran for “Security Charges”

May 8, 2018

On April 15, 2018, Abbas Edalat, a computer scientist and mathematics professor at the Imperial College in London, England, was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. He has been accused of being one of a group of British spies. There has, however, been no information presented substantiating such a claim. Professor Edalat is a vocal opponent of economic sanctions against Iran. CCS has written to the Head of the Iranian Judiciary requesting regular access to his family, a lawyer and provision for any needed medical attention. Additionally, CCS has requested that he be released, immediately and unconditionally, if not charged with a recognizable criminal offense.

May 3, 2018

Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
Head of the Judiciary
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, Deadend of 1 Azizi
Above Pasteur Intersection
Vali Asr Street
Tehran, Iran

Your Excellency:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We write to express our concern for Abbas Edalat, a dual British-Iranian citizen who is a computer scientist and mathematics professor at Imperial College in London, U.K. He was detained on April 15 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He is being held on “security charges,” reportedly accused of being part of a group of British spies, but, to our knowledge, no evidence supporting such a charge has been produced.

Professor Edalat is a vocal opponent of economic sanctions against Iran, and his detention may be due either to his peaceful political activities or is part of a wider crackdown on dual nationals.

We urge you to ensure that Abbas Edalat is given regular access to family, legal representation, and any medical attention necessary. If he is not to be charged with a recognizable criminal offense he should be released immediately and unconditionally.

We thank you for your attention to this most serious matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

cc:
H.E. Gholamali Khoshroo
Permanent Representative of the Islamic
Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 687-2020
Fax: (212) 867-7086
Email: iran@un.int

Hassan Rouhani
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: media@rouhani.ir

MESA’s Response to Arrest of Imperial College of London Professor – The Committee on Academic Freedom of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) wrote Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on behalf of Professor Abbas Edalat, Iranian-British academic, who was arrested while attending an academic workship in Tehran on April 15, 2018.  (Letter:  https://mesana.org/advocacy/committee-on-academic-freedom/2018/05/09/arrest-of-imperial-college-london-professor-abbas-edalat-in-iran.  May 9, 2018 – Committee on Academic Freedom)

Filed Under: Iran Tagged With: abbas, abbas edalat, detained, edalat

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Search Site

Browse by Country

Join Us

Become a member of our humanitarian enterprise.

Sign up

Support CCS

Remember to register with AmazonSmiles as a donor to the Committee of Concerned Scientists. Then anytime you shop there CCS will receive a donation from Amazon. Since people spend a lot during this time of year it can benefit CCS greatly if you remember to do this. There is no additional cost to you.

FURTHER DIRECTIONS

Committee of Concerned Scientists
Public Affairs and Administrative Office
PO Box 3708
Silver Spring, MD 20918

Carol Valoris, Executive Director
(202) 812-8074
carolvaloris@concernedscientists.org

Copyright © 2021 • Concerned Sci Child Theme on Genesis Framework • WordPress • Log in