Imprisoned Scholar Moved To Harsh Iranian Prison, Wife Says

PRINCETON, NJ — A Princeton University scholar who has been imprisoned in Iran has been moved to a prison with extremely harsh conditions, according to his wife.

Xiyue Wang will likely be imprisoned alongside members of the Taliban and other prisoners who were once held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, his wife Hua Qu posted on social media this week.

“These prisoners have already threatened and badly beaten Wang in a former prison, making the current transfer another threat to Wang's physical and mental well-being,” Qu wrote.

She also urged those who care about Wang and his family to call their congressmen and representatives to raise awareness about the latest development in the case. Wang was arrested while in Iran last year. He went to Iran as a doctoral candidate in the university's Department of History, studying Eurasian languages and regional governance practices across multiple Eurasian countries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the university maintains.

Wang is accused of of scanning 4,500 documents and attempting to access confidential information in Tehran. He has been arrested, tried and convicted on charges of espionage. He was was sentenced in July to 10 years in prison. A month later, Iran denied Wang's appeal. Last week, Qu said Wang was experiencing depression, has suffered from multiple diseases and has attempted to commit suicide.

“We call on the Iranians to show mercy on this innocent student, father, and husband,” Qu wrote on the Free Xiyue Wang Facebook page. “We call on President Trump and U.S. leaders to protect Americans abroad and to bring them home. Wang is an innocent U.S. citizen who went abroad to further his research and deserves to come home safely and soon.”

The attached image of Xiyue Wang and his family was provided by the family and released via Princeton University