Free Wang Xiyue

October 3, 2019 9:39 PM

This evening a vigil was held at Princeton University for Wang Xiyue. Wang is a husband, a father, a historian, and, for three years now, a captive in Evin Prison in Iran. In 2016, Wang traveled to Iran to conduct archival research on the administrative and cultural history of the Qajar dynasty. He was arrested that summer and the following year, was charged with and convicted of espionage. Wang's wife, Hua Qu, continues to work unceasingly on her husband's behalf as she raises their son alone in the United States. Wang is one of several citizens of the United States of America currently imprisoned in Iran.
posted by mustard seeds (3 comments total)

MetaFilter’s own Hoder spent six years in Evin.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 9:58 PM on October 3, 2019 [9 favorites]

This was kind of a turning point, as it was the first time in recent memory a non-Iranian dual citizen got taken (without really, really causing trouble for themselves). I'd been planning to go for a long time, but Wang's case made up my mind for me and a lot of others around me.
posted by groda at 5:21 AM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]

Are these explanations true?

Many liberals fear that any critique of Iran will play into the belligerent rhetoric of the Trump administration, which has escalated hostilities between the nations. At the same time, both academics and the general public have questioned why Wang went to Iran in the first place, given the obvious risks.
posted by doctornemo at 5:27 PM on October 6, 2019