Free Iranian Academics and Intellectuals NOW!

Monday November 3, 2025

Parviz Sedaghat

On Monday morning, November 3, 2025, security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran raided the homes of Parviz Sedaghat and Mohammad Maljoo, both economists and critical of the regime. Sedaghat is also the editor of the socialist online magazine, Critique of Political Economy (نقد اقتصاد سیاسی). Maljoo had been summoned for “a conversation” with a security office and has been unreachable since. Sedaghat was taken away from his home, and his family have not heard of his whereabout. The same day, writer and translator Shirin Karimi was also arrested at home. Mahsa Asadollahnejad, a sociologist and researcher, has also been detained. Family members of the detainees do not know why their loved ones were taken away and where they may be.

Maljoo is a researcher of Iran’s economic history and a public intellectual who writes about labor, inequality, and “command-style” governance. Karimi is a writer-translator active in social and cultural debates. They belong to the small but vital social and political intellectuals who connect Farsi readers to critical global debates.

Since the 2022, the Islamic Republic regime has increased surveillance of college campuses, media, and civil society. Sedaghat had recently given a talk about the latest anti-left campaign in Iran—how it took shape, what its aims are, who is driving it, and what consequences it has for the country’s political life.

Please write a short letter to Ayatollah Khamenei (The Leader)

 https://www.leader.ir/en/letter

Sample letter:

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Republic

I have just learned about a wave detention of Irans promienet academics and intellectuals including Parviz Sedaghat (economist and editor); Mohammad Maljoo, economist; Shirin Karimi, writer and translator;  Mahsa Asadollahnejad, sociologist. The families of the detainees do not know why there loved ones were detained or why they may be detained.

This wave of arrest of academics and intellectuals is clearly unconstitutional and against the interest of the Iranian people who benefit from their cultural and political advancement.

I urge you to order their immediate release and to guarantee academic and intellectual freedom in Iran.

Thank you very much.