Vahid Abedini Released from U.S. Immigration Custody
WANA (Nov 25) – Vahid Abedini, an Iranian professor at the University of Oklahoma, announced hat he had been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Abedini, who had been on his way to attend the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference in Washington, D.C., shared the news of his release on his LinkedIn page.
In his post, he wrote: “I’m pleased to share that I was released from detention tonight. This was a deeply distressing experience, especially witnessing the suffering of those who did not have the same support that I did.” He went on to express gratitude to the University of Oklahoma, the Middle East Studies Association, and the broader academic communities in Iranian studies and political science, saying he was “sincerely thankful for their support.”
His colleagues and friends have also confirmed his release. Earlier, Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, had stated that Abedini “was unjustly detained by immigration authorities while traveling to attend the MESA conference in Washington, D.C.” Nasr also emphasized that “his visa is valid” and called for Abedini’s immediate release and return to his academic work.
With Abedini’s release, this brief but widely discussed incident within the academic community enters a new phase, and more details regarding the circumstances of his detention and release are expected to emerge.
New Details on the Detention of an Iranian Professor in Oklahoma
WANA (Nov 25) – According to U.S. media reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained an Iranian professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma’s David L. Boren College of International Studies while he was traveling to Washington, D.C., to attend an academic conference. Records from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office […]
