A group of Kian’s colleagues in the Urban Planning & Community Development field have sent this letter to the Iranian authorities.  Click on “more” for the list of signatories.

We are urban and regional planners and housing and community development practitioners. We are deeply concerned about the arrest and detention of Kian Tajbakhsh and the charges against him. We know Kian Tajbakhsh’s work and reputation as a scholar, professor and consultant to governments, organizations and international agencies. His teaching, writings and publications demonstrate a commitment to excellence and integrity, as does his approach to addressing urban issues. We appeal to you to drop the charges and immediately release him from detention.

Harriet Cohen, Director of Programs Lantern Group, New York, NY
Bruce Dale, Senior Vice President, Community Preservation Corp, Bronx, NY
Jill Hamberg, Empire State College/SUNY, New York, NY
Tony Schuman, Professor of Architecture, NJIT, Newark, NJ
Peg Seip, Master of City Planning, Montclair, NJ
Peter Marcuse, Professor of Urban Planning, Columbia University, New York, NY
Carrie Makarewicz, PhD. Student, Urban Planning & Policy, Washington D.C.
Sharon Murray, AICP, Front Porch Community Planning & Design, Waterbury, VT
Dick Platkin, Planning Consultant, Los Angeles, CA
John Nettleton, Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York, NY
Kurt Seitz. Master of Regional Planning, University of Albany, NY
Barbara Rahder, Dean of Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada
Jessica B. Boatright, Master of City Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Andrew Williams-Clark, Chicago, Il.
Teresa Gillotti, Research Fellow Genesee Institute, Flint, MI
Ann Forsyth, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Alex Zhang, Asian Community Development Corp, Boston, MA
Leslie F. Boden, MSUP Community Health Consultant, Brooklyn, NY
Antonio Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA
Marisa Cravens, Association of Bay Area Governments, Oakland, CA
Clara Irazabal, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Norma M Rantisi, Concordia, CA
Eric Arvidson, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX
Ron Shiffman, Planing Consultant, Former Director of Pratt Center and Member of NYC Planning Commission, Brooklyn, NY
Victor Bach, Sr. Policy Analyst, Community Service Society, New York, N.Y.
Frances Goldin, Founder, Cooper Square Committee, New York, N.Y.
Chester Hartman, Director of Research, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Washington, D.C.
Valerio Orcelli, Executive Director, Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association, NewYork, N.Y.
Catherine Herman, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Bonnie Brower, Staten Island, NY
Ann Teicher, Affordable Housing Provider, New York, NY
Andy Inch
Richard Conley, Community Preservation Corp, Bronx, NY

Affiliations for identification purposes only