Calling On The Government Of Iran To Release Dr. Haleh Esfandiari

Floor Speech

CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN TO RELEASE DR. HALEH ESFANDIARI -- (House of Representatives - June 05, 2007)

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Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 430.

This resolution calls on the government of Iran to release Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, who is being held captive in Evin prison, despite the Ministry of Intelligence offering no evidence of wrongdoing.

Dr. Esfandiari is a respected member of academia, holding the position of director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, having previously taught Persian language and literature at Princeton University.

While visiting her ailing 93-year-old mother in Iran, Dr. Esfandiari was held up at knifepoint; her travel documents and luggage were taken in the process. It was while attempting to procure subsequent documents that Dr. Esfandiari was taken into custody by the Ministry of Intelligence in Iran.

Dr. Esfandiari is not the only American taken prisoner in Iran under the guise of being a ``spy.'' With U.S. and Iranian diplomatic relations resuming again after 25 years, it is important that the United States remain vigilant in opposing these unconscionable tactics employed by the Iranian Government toward United States citizens abroad.

This resolution is a strong first step in standing up for the safety of all American citizens traveling abroad. No American should ever be deprived of their liberty simply because they crossed the safe haven of U.S. borders.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

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