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.

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Iranian Material Science and Engineering Professor Acquitted But In Custody of ICE. Acquiring Virus Plausible.

May 3, 2020

Dr. Sirous Asgari, Material Science and Engineering professor based in Ohio was arrested of charges involving US sanctions against Iran. He was acquitted in November but now remains in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a holding facility in Louisiana. His health is threatened as Louisiana is a high risk area and individuals and staff have been a considerable threat for virus transmission. CCS urges ICE and the White House to release Dr. Asgari immediately.

April 28, 2020

 

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC   20500

Matthew T. Albence
Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
500 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20536

 

Dear President Trump and Acting Director Albence,

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 Dr. Sirous Asgari, an Iranian national and materials science and engineering professor based in Ohio. Acquitted in November of charges involving U.S. sanctions against Iran, Dr. Asgari, nonetheless, remains in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) in a holding facility in Alexandria, Louisiana known as the Alexandria Staging Facility (“ASF”).

We urge you to see to it that he is released as quickly as possible.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads through jails and prisons in the U.S., Dr. Asgari faces an ever-increasing risk of contracting the dangerous disease.  ASF is a facility designed to hold detainees for just 72 hours prior to their deportation, and is not equipped for the kind of prolonged detention that is now occurring there due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Dr. Asgari has been at ASF for over a month now (since March 10), and we understand that the facility is not regularly cleaned, there are no laundry facilities or changes of clothing available, there are no masks, and social distancing is not possible. This is a recipe for disaster for Dr. Asgari, the other detainees, and ASF staff.

Dr. Asgari has reportedly been willing to “self-deport” back to Iran, but remains in detention under these deteriorating conditions. Since he cannot be flown home to Iran, we urge you to allow him to be released to his family in the U.S.

This is a matter of tremendous urgency, and we thank you for your consideration of our urgent request.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer

Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Filed Under: United States Tagged With: Alexandria Staging Facility, ASF, COVID-19, Dr. Sirous Asgari, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Louisiana, Material Science and Engineering Professor, U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

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

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Committee of Concerned Scientists

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