OSI Statement on Release of Haleh Esfandiari

NEW YORK—We welcome the long-overdue release of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari from Evin prison and eagerly expect news that Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh will also be set free. Dr. Tajbakhsh, a distinguished scholar who committed no crime, has now been unjustly imprisoned for more than 100 days. We hope he will soon be reunited with his family, and we remain concerned for his well-being.

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The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking foundation established by George Soros, works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. OSI works in over 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as in the United States.