Iran Press/ Iran news: Masoud Soleimani, a prominent stem-cell researcher at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, has been in custody in United States for the past 11 months, awaiting trial.
As one of the world's top-100 scientists in terms of scientific citations, Masoud Soleimani received an official invitation from the Mayo Clinic in Unite States in October 2018 and entered the country with an official-research visa, but he was arrested without trial upon his arrival.
Mahnaz Rabeie, Soleimani's wife says that Soleimani's general health condition is not good at all.
"Dr. Soleimani works in Stem Cell Science and he also is a prominent researcher in this field. My husband was neither in the US nor has purchased anything for Iran. Even the cases that Americans put forward to claim that my husband violated the sanctions are unacceptable. They have not provided any substantiated evidence for their claims while they present themselves as champions of human rights. They have clearly violated the human rights of my husband," she added.
"In the last 11 months, our family has had to cope with a lot of pressure and we are not in good spirits. Dr. Soleimani's mother passed away and I simply don't know how to break this terrible news to him," Mrs. Rabeie stressed.
"Professor Soleimani suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and he doesn't have access to his medicine in a US jail. Moreover, as a result of the harsh conditions in jail, he has become nearsighted and he doesn't even have eyeglasses to wear. During the time he has spent in a US prison, we haven't had any video call from him, except a one-way voice call for 10-15 mins. And sometimes the prison authorities have disconnected all phone lines to punish the prisoners," Soleimani's wife added.
"Now it is the duty of the foreign ministry to follow up on Dr. Soleimani's case and all of these things make it more difficult for them to solve this case," she highlighted.
Masoud Soleimani prominent stem-cell researcher jailed in the US
On Wednesday 2 Oct. 2019, Iran's Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution called on International scientific institutions and responsible organizations to demand the freedom of the Iranian scientist Masoud Soleimani, illegally arrested by US authorities and jailed for seemingly no reason.
The secretariat of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution issued a statement on Wednesday 2 October, that the US' illegal detention of the Iranian researcher is a clear example of violating international practices, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention.
Pointing out to the silence of international bodies including the United Nations, the Red Cross, and the European Haematology Association over the detention of the Iranian scientist, the statement said: "It is imperative that all genuine human rights advocates and justice advocates around the world raise their voices in relation to this blatant violation of human rights."
Professor Soleimani is now in jail next to drug offenders and murderers, unaware of what offence he has committed, and waiting for a trial which so far he has been denied.
Professor Soleimani's mother who went into a coma after hearing that her son was arrested by US authorities, recently passed away.
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Iran calls for action to pursue scientist's freedom
