Ben Cardin: “this resolution brings to the Senate's attention the ongoing plight of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari. Dr. Esfandiari is the…”

“this resolution brings to the Senate's attention the ongoing plight of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari. Dr. Esfandiari is the director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars here in Washington, DC. She holds dual citizenship with the United States and Iran and visits her ailing 93-year-old mother twice a year in Iran. During her return to the United States on her last visit, Dr. Esfandiari's vehicle was robbed by three knife-wielding men. She lost her luggage and her travel documents. Later, when she requested the replacement documents, agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence began to question her for hours over the course of several days. The Ministry of Intelligence asked Dr. Esfandiari questions about her work and her work at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. The Woodrow Wilson International Center supplied exhaustive material about her education and information about her mission. Dr. Esfandiari was essentially kept under house arrest for 10 weeks. On May 7 she was informed she must return to the Intelligence Ministry on May 8. Upon honoring the summons, Dr. Esfandiari was immediately taken into custody and jailed. She has been denied contact with her family, her attorneys, and the outside world. Earlier this week, news reports stated that Dr. Esfandiari is suspected of espionage and supporting the 'soft revolution' against the regime in Iran.”