Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
May 22, 2007

American Academic Accused of Plotting Revolution in Iran
--------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1792E59:A6F02AD83191E160F8BE2B55B49D9EDB9574F7DCC14957C0 Haleh Esfandiari
works for a Washington-based research organization, the Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars





Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow
Wilson Center

Iran has alleged that a detained Iranian-American academic is linked
to a network seeking to overthrow the government of the Islamic
Republic.

The academic, Haleh Esfandiari, works for a Washington-based research
organization, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
She was taken to Tehran's Evin prison on May 8, after being prevented
from leaving the country for several months.

A statement from the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, carried Monday by
the state-run IRNA news agency, said Esfandiari, under interrogation,
had said she and the Wilson Center sought to establish an unofficial
communications network seeking to topple the government.

IRNA also reported the Wilson Center had the financial backing of
billionaire American businessman George Soros.

Soros is a well-known philanthropist who supports many democracy and
economic development projects around the world.

Esfandiari, who has dual U.S and Iranian citizenship, has been accused
of "crimes against national security."

The Wilson Center's director, Lee Hamilton, says Esfandiari has not
engaged in any activities to undermine any government and the center
does not engage in such activities.

The United States has called for Iran to release Esfandiari, as well
as two other detained Iranian-American women.

One of the detained women is Parnaz Azima, a correspondent for
U.S.-funded Persian language broadcaster Radio Farda. She has been
prevented from leaving Iran since January. Esfandiari and Azima were
in Iran to visit their mothers.

The identity of the third woman has not been revealed at the request
of her family.

The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since
1980.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.