Talk to Foreigners and We Will View You as a Spy, Iran Warns Academics

Iran recently claimed to have cracked a spy ring backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency – and amid growing tensions with the West, the government has warned academics not to travel to conferences abroad. Contacts with foreigners may seem innocuous at first, Iranian officials warn, but the relationship could quickly transform into an intelligence-gathering mission. Academics who resist the restrictions counter that the spying allegations set the stage for a purge of liberal or pro-Western professors. Under former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, the atmosphere in the university was relatively relaxed. But his successor, current Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has sought to reverse that trend, forcing some professors into early retirement and threatening academics and their families over travel abroad. Isolation and fear may promote security, but not academic inquiry. – YaleGlobal