Urban Planner Detained or Missing In Iran

Iran reports that it has "no exact report" about Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American urban planning professor and consultant who was detained around May 11 and is now missing.

1 minute read

May 30, 2007, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

According to various sources, Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh was arrested at his home in Tehran by the Iranian security services on May 11th, and has been detained in the notorious Evin prison since then. Kian has not seen a lawyer and has not been permitted visitors.

From The New York Times:

"The consultant, Kian Tajbakhsh, 45, is an urban planning expert who has also worked for the World Bank and is a senior research fellow at the New School in New York."

From the Associated Press:

"Kian Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant who has also worked for the World Bank, was detained around May 11, according to George Soros' Open Society Institute. The group is a private foundation that encourages democracy-building in countries around the world."

"The Open Society Institute has said that Tajbakhsh had been consulting 'to facilitate public health, humanitarian assistance and urban planning projects that we undertook openly and with the knowledge of the Iranian government.' The institute said it was concerned for his safety and called for his immediate release."

A website, Free Kian has been setup to post updates on his status.

Thanks to Alex Schwartzz

FULL STORY: Iran says it has no information about missing Iranian-Americans

Sunday, May 27, 2007 in San Diego Union Tribute / Associated Press

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