Princeton University issued the following statement after the Iranian judiciary announced on Sunday, July 16, that a Princeton graduate student conducting dissertation research in Iran had been sentenced to 10 years in prison after having been accused of espionage.
"Xiyue Wang is a fourth-year doctoral candidate (graduate student) in the Department of History at Princeton University. His field is late 19th and early 20th century Eurasian history. He was arrested in Iran last summer, while there doing scholarly research on the administrative and cultural history of the late Qajar dynasty in connection with his Ph.D. dissertation. Since his arrest, the University has worked with Mr. Wang's family, the U.S. government, private counsel and others to facilitate his release.
"We were very distressed by the charges brought against him in connection with his scholarly activities, and by his subsequent conviction and sentence. His family and the University are distressed at his continued imprisonment and are hopeful that he will be released after his case is heard by the appellate authorities in Tehran. In the interim, the University will continue to do everything it can to be supportive of Mr. Wang and his family."
The University has compiled a list of answers to commonly asked questions on the Xiyue Wang case.
The American Council on Education and 31 other higher education and research associations have issued a statement urging Mr. Wang’s return home and more than 1,000 researchers from 25 countries have signed a petition also calling for his safe return.
A Chinese translation follows.
普林斯顿大学声援在伊朗被拘博士生
通讯办公室
2017年7月16日, 下午6点37分
7月16日， 周日， 伊朗司法部宣布对一名在伊朗进行博士论文研究的普林斯顿博士生以间谍罪判处十年监禁。对此，普林斯顿大学发布声明如下：
王夕越是普林斯顿大学历史系四年级博士研究生。他的研究领域是19世纪晚期至20世纪早期的欧亚史。王夕越去年夏天在伊朗被捕，当时他正在为博士论文进行与凯迦王朝晚期行政史与文化史相关的学术研究。从他被捕开始，普林斯顿大学便积极与王夕越家人、美国政府、私人顾问合作以争取促成他的释放。
我们对以下事实深感痛心：王夕越仅仅是由于从事学术活动而受到指控乃至定罪和判刑。他的家人和普林斯顿大学对他持续被关押的情况十分焦急。我们希望德黑兰的上诉机构获悉他的案情后会将其释放。在此期间，普林斯顿大学将会继续竭尽所能支持王先生以及他的家庭。
