Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang, shown here with his wife and their young son before he was detained in Iran in 2016.
Hua Qu issued the following statement Thursday, Aug. 17, regarding her husband, Xiyue Wang, who is imprisoned in Iran. Princeton University is distributing the statement at her request.
I am devastated that my husband’s appeal has been denied, and that he continues to be unjustly imprisoned in Iran on groundless accusations of espionage and collaboration with a hostile government against the Iranian state. Our young son and I have not seen Xiyue in more than a year, and we miss him very much.
Xiyue is a doctoral student who traveled to Iran last year to learn Persian and to do some archival research for his dissertation on 19th and early 20th century Eurasian history. He had received approval necessary from the Iranian government to carry out research in Iran. It was his passion for this field of study that drew him to Iran, and later to continue his dissertation research in Russia, and nothing else.
The past year has been extremely difficult for our family. We constantly worry about Xiyue’s health and well-being as he remains behind bars in a foreign country away from his family and loved ones. This time has been particularly difficult for my toddler son, who misses his father very much, but is too young to fully comprehend why he is not able to see, hold, or play with his father. It is heartbreaking to hear my son constantly ask about his father’s return home.
Our son and I are Chinese citizens. During the past year, we have shown great respect for Iran’s judicial system and have waited patiently while his case has been investigated, prosecuted and tried. Xiyue deserves to be freed. We hope the Iranian officials can release him immediately so he can resume his studies at home and so that our family will be together again.
A Chinese translation is provided below.
王夕越妻子曲桦的声明, 2017年8月17日
8月17日星期四，普林斯顿大学应王夕越妻子曲桦的请求，发布她关于伊朗扣押王夕越事件的声明如下。
我为我丈夫的上诉被驳回而感到极度悲痛。伊朗方面指控他与敌国合作，进行对伊朗的间谍活动，是毫无根据的诬陷，继续囚禁他更是极其不公正的行为。我和年幼的儿子已经超过一年不能和王夕越见面，对他万分想念。
夕越是普林斯顿大学历史系在读博士生，去年前往伊朗为其博士论文进行学术研究并学习波斯语。他论文的题目是十九世纪末二十世纪初欧亚大陆的历史。行前，他已经获得伊朗政府必要的准许，在该国开展学术研究。是投身学术的热情驱使他前往伊朗，并计划此后到俄罗斯继续研究工作，除此之外，并无其他目的。
过去的一年对我们的家庭来说极度艰难。夕越在外国身陷囹圄，远离家庭和他挚爱的人，我们无时无刻不为他的身心健康感到担忧。特别是我们四岁的儿子，他非常思念他的父亲，但还无法理解为什么不能马上再见到父亲，为什么父亲不能回来抱着他，同他一起玩耍。最让我心碎的事莫过于儿子常常问起父亲怎么还不回来。
我和我们的儿子都是中国公民。在过去一年中，我们已表现出了对伊朗司法体制的尊重，在案件的调查、起诉和审判过程中，我们都在耐心等待。夕越理应重获自由。我们希望伊朗官员能够立即释放他，让他能够继续学业，也使我们一家得以团聚。