{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='WRAP Reaction from State Dept., relatives of US citizens arrested in Iran' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c1cbd8eafeecae154dd7' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c1cbd8eafeecae154dd7' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nWRAP Reaction from State Dept., relatives of US citizens arrested in Iran\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eAP Television Washington, DC - 29 May 20071. State Department spokesman Tom Casey arriving at news conference2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tom Casey, U.S. Deputy State Department spokesman:\"These are individuals who are private citizens. They...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eWashington, DC - 29 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e1. State Department spokesman Tom Casey arriving at news conference\u003cbr/\u003e2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tom Casey, U.S. Deputy State Department spokesman:\u003cbr/\u003e\"These are individuals who are private citizens. They are not party to any of the policy disputes between the government of the United States and the government of Iran. It is absolutely absurd to think that they in any way, shape or form posed a threat to the Iranian regime and we continue to urge the Iranian government to let them go, to let them go back to visiting their families, to come back home to be with their families here and to continue the very basic people to people kind of work they have been pursuing  in Iran for many years.\u003cbr/\u003eWoodrow Wilson Centre Video \u003cbr/\u003eFILE: Washington, DC, Date Unknown\u003cbr/\u003e3. Haleh Esfandiari speaking at conference\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003ePotomac, Maryland - 29 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Shaul Bakhash, Esfandiari's husband:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Well it does seem to ratchet up the case against her several notches. These are very serious things to say about anyone, especially one's wife and we take them very seriously. They are of course totally unfounded. There is not a shred of evidence to support  them, but they have been made and we now have to address them.\" \u003cbr/\u003eFamily photograph \u003cbr/\u003eUnknown location \u0026amp; date\u003cbr/\u003e5. STILL photograph showing Shaul Bakhash and Haleh Esfandiari\u003cbr/\u003e6.  Various of STILL photograph of Haleh Esfandiari\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003ePotomac, Maryland - 29 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Shaul Bakhash, Esfandiari's husband:\u003cbr/\u003e\"But certainly if we had had any inkling that on this last trip she would be held back, that she would be interrogated, that she would be incarcerated, clearly we would have never allowed her to go to Iran and neither would she have gone back.\"\u003cbr/\u003e8. Pull back view of exterior of family home\u003cbr/\u003e9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Shaul Bakhash, Esfandiari's husband:\u003cbr/\u003e\"We are very worried about the state of her mental health particularly but also her physical health, after all she is 67 years old. Much younger men and women have broken at Evin under this kind of interrogation. I should also add that a Canadian-Iranian journalist was killed from a blow to the head under questioning at this very prison.\"\u003cbr/\u003eWoodrow Wilson Centre Video\u003cbr/\u003eFILE: Washington, DC, Date Unknown\u003cbr/\u003e10. Haleh Esfandiari speaking at conference\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eNew York City - 24 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e11. Exterior of Open Society Institute (OSI) in New York City\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eNew York City - 29 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Society Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"They are charging them with endangering national security and espionage. I think those are wholly specious charges. They have no merit whatsoever. Kian Tajbakhsh is a scholar and an urban policy and urban planning expert and that kind of activity is the furthest thing from anything that he would engage in.\"\u003cbr/\u003eOpen Society Institute Soros Foundation\u003cbr/\u003eDate and location unknown\u003cbr/\u003e13. STILLS of Kian Tajbakhsh, a consultant with George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI)\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eNew York City - 29 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE:  (English):  Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Society Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I understand that he is able to have one minute telephone conversations with his wife in which he can basically say I'm okay and ask how she is. I know she is pregnant, expecting their first child at this moment. But she has been reluctant to talk about his situation for fear that it would interfere with her ability to communicate with him.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eNew York City - 24 May 2007\u003cbr/\u003e15. Close-up of sign reading 'OSI'\u003cbr/\u003e16. Wide of entrance to OSI\u003cbr/\u003eU.S. academic Haleh Esfandiari and two other Iranian-Americans have been charged with endangering national security and espionage, Iran's judiciary spokesman said on Tuesday.\u003cbr/\u003eThe charges, which were denied by relatives and colleagues, were another example of Iran's stepped up accusations that the U.S. is trying to use internal critics to destabilise the government.\u003cbr/\u003eJudiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters the charges had been lodged against US academic Haleh Esfandiari, Kian Tajbakhsh, a consultant with George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI), and journalist Parnaz Azima. \u003cbr/\u003eIn Washington, the State Department said it had no information about any formal charges being filed and that Iranian authorities had not responded to requests from the Swiss, who represent U.S. interests in Iran, for access to the detainees.\u003cbr/\u003eDeputy spokesman Tom Casey also repeated Washington's calls for them to be released, saying it was \"absurd\" to think they posed a threat to Tehran or were U.S. spies or government agents.\u003cbr/\u003e''These are individuals who are private citizens. They are not party to any of the policy disputes between the government of the United States and the government of Iran,'' Casey said.\u003cbr/\u003eIranian judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters in Tehran that Esfandiari had been \"formally charged\" by the Intelligence Ministry, and had been informed of the charges.\u003cbr/\u003eJamshidi did not say when the specific allegations had been read to Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Programme at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Centre for Scholars.\u003cbr/\u003eShe has been held at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison since early May.\u003cbr/\u003eEsfandiari's husband, Shaul Bakhash, said from his home in Potomac, Maryland, that the charges were \"totally unfounded.\" \u003cbr/\u003e\"There is not a shred of evidence to support  them, but they have been made and we now have to address them,\" he said.\u003cbr/\u003eBakhash said Esfandiari is being represented by the law firm of 2003 Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, but the government has refused access by attorneys to his wife in prison.\u003cbr/\u003eJamshidi said the same charges also had been lodged against Kian Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant who also has worked for the World Bank, and journalist Parnaz Azima. \u003cbr/\u003eNo trial date has been announced and Jamshidi said the investigation against the three is continuing.\u003cbr/\u003eAzima, who works for the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, was detained but released and barred from leaving the country. \u003cbr/\u003eIt was the first time the government has confirmed the arrest of Tajbakhsh, who was believed to have been taken into custody around May 11, according to George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI).\u003cbr/\u003eAryeh Neier, President of the New York-based OSI, said the charges have \"no merit whatsoever.\"\u003cbr/\u003e\"Kian Tajbakhsh is a scholar and an urban policy and urban planning expert and that kind of activity is the furthest thing from anything he would engage in,\" he said.\u003cbr/\u003eIran's Intelligence Ministry has accused Esfandiari and her organisation of trying to set up networks of Iranians with the ultimate goal of creating a \"soft revolution\" in Iran, along the lines of the revolts that ended Communist rule in Eastern Europe.\u003cbr/\u003eThe ministry has alleged that the Open Society Institute, which seeks to promote democracy, was part of the conspiracy.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Wilson Centre and the Open Society Institute deny the allegations.\u003cbr/\u003eThe 67-year-old Esfandiari has for years brought prominent Iranians to Washington to talk about the political situation in Iran, some of whom have been subsequently detained and questioned back home. \u003cbr/\u003eHer defenders say some of those she brought to the US were supporters of the Iranian government who sought to explain Tehran's stance to Americans.\u003cbr/\u003eIran has stepped up accusations that the United States is trying to use internal critics to destabilise the government. \u003cbr/\u003eTensions have mounted between the two countries over Iran's nuclear programme and US allegations that the Iranians have been supporting armed groups in Iraq.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star-half-stroke text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-regular fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt class=\"educator-rating-title\"\u003eEducator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"educator-rating-details\" data-path=\"/educator_ratings/rrp_data?resourceable_id=899405\u0026amp;resourceable_type=Boclips%3A%3AVideoMetadata\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"not-yet-rated\"\u003eNot yet Rated\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eGrade\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd title=\"Grade\"\u003eHigher Ed\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSubjects\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\u0026amp;subject_ids%5B%5D=1216220\"\u003eAll Subjects\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eMedia Type\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=2\u0026amp;type_ids%5B%5D=4543650\"\u003eNews Clips\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSource:\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e2007\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003emaryland, iran, years, new york city, families, north america, crime, washington, new york, urban planning, governments\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='additional-tags-heading'\u003eAdditional Tags\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list keyterms' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='keyterms'\u003ekind, tehran, iran government, tom casey, united states government, general news, arrests, government and politics, wife, united states, correctional systems, government policy, middle east, back, espionage, law and order, state, george soros, shirin ebadi, d.c., u.s. department of state, judiciary, kian tajbakhsh, continue, prisons\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='keyterms-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='educator-ratings-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title sr-only' id='educator-ratings-heading'\u003eEducator Ratings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"all-educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"educator-rating-form-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Show resource details' class='rp-show-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nShow resource details\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Video player' class='player' id='player-wrapper' role='region'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='relative container mx-auto' id='lp-boclips-visitor-thumbnail'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"block\" data-html=\"true\" data-placement=\"bottom\" data-trigger=\"click\" data-content=\"\u003cdiv class=\u0026quot;text-center py-2\u0026quot;\u003e\u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/auth/users/sign_in\u0026quot;\u003eSign in\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold text-danger\u0026quot; data-posthog-event=\u0026quot;Signup: LP Signup Activity\u0026quot; data-posthog-location=\u0026quot;body_link_boclips\u0026quot; data-remote=\u0026quot;true\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/subscription/new\u0026quot;\u003eJoin Now\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\" data-title=\"Get Full Access\" data-container=\"body\" rel=\"popover\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Play video: WRAP Reaction from State Dept., relatives of US citizens arrested in Iran\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"resource-img img-thumbnail img-responsive z-10 lp-boclips-thumbnail w-full h-full lozad\" alt=\"WRAP Reaction from State Dept., relatives of US citizens arrested in Iran\" title=\"WRAP Reaction from State Dept., relatives of US citizens arrested in Iran\" onError=\"handleImageNotLoadedError(this)\" data-default-image=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" data-src=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" width=\"315\" height=\"220\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs\" /\u003e\n\u003cspan aria-hidden='true' class='flex justify-center items-center bg-white rounded-full w-16 h-16 absolute top-1/2 left-1/2 -mt-8 -ml-8 cursor-pointer z-0 border-2 border-primary drop-shadow-md lp-boclips-thumbnail-playBtn'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fa-solid fa-play text-primary text-3xl ml-1 drop-shadow-xl'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"}