The Scholars at Risk Network has released an appeal on behalf of Kian.  The appeal, which calls for letters to be sent to the Iranian authorities, reads in part:

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is gravely concerned about the arrest and detention of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh, a respected international scholar and researcher. SAR calls for letters, faxes and emails calling for authorities to explain publicly the reasons for Dr. Tajbakhsh’s detention and to work for his immediate release.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of universities and colleges dedicated to promoting academic freedom and to defend the human rights of scholars worldwide. SAR learned that on or about May 11, 2007, Dr. Tajbakhsh was arrested in Tehran and taken to Evin prison. SAR understands that he has been held without charge and without access to counsel, family or other visitors, in apparent breach of guarantees outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is signatory.

Dr. Tajbakhsh’s arrest raises grave concerns for his well-being. The suddenness of his arrest and the lack of any clear basis for his detention, as well as the recent detention of other prominent scholars like Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, about whom SAR has also written, all raise grave concerns about the ability of internationally recognized scholars and intellectuals to safely visit Iran. These events suggest a wider attempt to intimidate intellectuals and to limit academic freedom in Iran—a suggestion SAR finds particularly distressing and unfortunate, given Iran’s rich intellectual history and traditional support for the values of scholarship and free inquiry. SAR finds this even more distressing given the current tensions in the region and the world, which appear to warrant more rather than fewer exchanges among scholars inside and outside of Iran.

SAR joins with the many national and international academic associations, scholarly societies, human rights organizations and individual scholars in imploring the Iranian government to examine the circumstances of Dr. Tajbakhsh’s arrest and detention. SAR calls on the Iranian government to work for Dr. Tajbakhsh’s immediate release, and in the interim to ensure that he has immediate access to legal counsel, to family and to any necessary medical treatment.

The full text of the appeal, and details about letters on Kian’s behalf, can be found here.