The New School, where Kian taught for several years, has issued the following statement:

Statement Concerning the Detention of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh in IRAN

New York, New York: May 25, 2007: The New School strongly objects to the arrest and detention of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh by the Iranian government.

Dr. Tajbakhsh has been a respected member of The New School faculty, and is a highly-regarded scholar with expertise in urban planning, including issues of class, race, and poverty. Dr. Tajbakhsh has made it his life’s work to develop and advise governments on strategies to build more effective and humane cities.

Bob Kerrey, President of The New School, has characterized the arrest and detention of Dr. Tajbakhsh as “unprovoked and without justification.”

The New School calls on the government of Iran to release Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh immediately.