Iran expands probe of detained Iranian-American scholars

Iran expands probe of detained Iranian-American scholars Michael Sung at 8:00 AM ET
[JURIST] Iranian judiciary spokesperson Alireza Jamshidi said Tuesday that government prosecutors have expanded their investigations against Iranian-American scholars Dr. Haleh Esfandiari [WWC profile] and Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh [OSI press release] after obtaining new evidence supporting charges of endangering national security. Esfandiari, accused of being involved in an alleged plot "against the sovereignty of the country" [JURIST report], has been in solitary confinement for over 60 days. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars [think tank website] rejected the allegations that Iran has discovered new evidence as "totally without merit" [press release, DOC], and urged the Iranian government to release Esfandiari. The Open Society Institute [advocacy website] said it was "dismayed by the Iranian government's announcement of new allegations," adding that the Iranian government has provided no evidence to "substantiate any allegations of wrongdoing" [press release] since Tajbakhsh's arrest on May 11 [JURIST report].In June, Iranian 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi [advocacy website, in Persian; JURIST news archive] accused the Iranian government of interfering in judicial affairs to prevent Esfandiari's release [JURIST report]. Ebadi has also accused the Iranian government of denying lawyers' access to Esfandiari [JURIST report]. AP has more.