Faculty member's release from prison extended

Kian Tajbakhsh will continue to enjoy his freedom out of prison with his family while legal procedures to resolve his case are underway.

Tajbakhsh, an American-Iranian scholar who was arrested in Iran during the aftermath of the summer presidential elections, received his Ph.D. from Columbia and has been a faculty member at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation since September 2009. He has been unable to assume his position because of his detainment.

On March 13, Tajbakhsh was released from Evin prison complex for 15 days to celebrate the Iranian New Year with his family. The New Year typically spans from March 21 to April 4 of each year.

Upon appeal, the Iranian government has extended his release. “Kian and his family are pleased to report the approval of their appeal to extend the period of his release,” the advocacy website “Free Kian ’09” announced today.

“They sincerely hope to be able to remain together, while further legal procedures are underway in an attempt to resolve his case,” the site added.

For his release, Tajbakhsh had to pay $800,000 bail and is not allowed to leave the country.

When initially released for the New Year, “Free Kian ‘09” reported a few words from Tajbakhsh.

“Kian would like to take this opportunity to extend his heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all his supporters and warm greetings to his many relatives and friends around the world,” it said.

“He asks members of the media to kindly respect his privacy as he enjoys a precious reunion with his loving family and some long-awaited rest and respite from this 8-month-long ordeal,” the site added.

Tajbakhsh was in Iran to work on a book when he was arrested last summer. He faces charges of spying and threatening national security. When he was arrested, he was sentenced to 15 years in Iranian prison, but last month, the Iranian Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to five years.

Tajbakhsh is a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, and has taught at both American and Iranian universities.

“The espionage charges leveled against Dr. Tajbakhsh are groundless,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in a letter to Columbia faculty in February in response to a letter asking for her help in obtaining Tajbakhsh’s release.

Clinton wrote, “The State Department is using every available diplomatic tool to achieve Dr. Tajbakhsh’s release. We continue to communicate our concern about his welfare and have asked other governments to urge the Iranian government to release him without further delay.”