Graduate student Xiyue Wang released

Xiyue Wang, the Princeton graduate imprisoned in Iran on suspicion of spying, has now been released and will return to the United States. International Science Council (ISC) President Daya Reddy had previously called for an end to Wang’s imprisonment in an open letter emphasising the importance of scientific freedom.

Graduate student Xiyue Wang released

Wang, an American citizen and Princeton PhD student, was arrested by Iranian authorities and imprisoned on charges of espionage while conducting research on the Qajar dynasty in Tehran, Iran. 

Xiyue Wang’s arrest in August 2016 was kept confidential until July 2017, when it was announced that he had been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The ISC promotes equitable access to data, information, and other resources for academic researchers and opposes imprisonment of researchers based on their peaceful conduct of scholarly research.

The Council and its Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science (CFRS) are delighted with the news that Wang has been released.

See also: Freedom in Science: ISC Supports International Calls to Release PhD Student from Prison

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