NEW YORK—The Open Society Institute calls for the immediate release of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh, a distinguished scholar and an American citizen. According to reports, an Iranian court today announced that his sentence was reduced to five years. The charges brought against Dr. Tajbakhsh by the Iranian government are completely without merit.
Dr. Tajbakhsh was a consultant for the Open Society Institute from 2004 to May 2007. He is a valued expert on public health, humanitarian assistance, and urban planning initiatives in Iran. Though he discontinued his service for OSI, we remain deeply concerned about his well-being.