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Tehran to Air 'Confessions' of US Scholars

Prisoner pair caged for months

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 17, 2007 5:08 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Two Iranian-American scholars arrested for espionage in Iran appear to have made videotaped confessions after months of interrogation, the Los Angeles Times reports. Iran's state-run television is airing excerpts of the statements  to promote the confessions to be broadcast tomorrow. On tape, Haleh Esfandiari 67, of  the Woodrow Wilson Center, appears pale and wears a black chador.

Esfandiari, who has been in solitary confinement since May, says that she has been trying to overthrow the Iranian government "in the name of democracy." Kian Tajbakhsh, an urban planner with George Soros' Open Society Institute, admits to trying to create "conflict" as he reads from a piece of paper. A friend said she was shocked by his aged appearance.

(AP Photo/IRIB via AP Television)
(AP Photo/IRIB via AP Television)   (Associated Press)
In this undated photo provided by Bakhash family, Haleh Esfandiari, is seen. Esfandiari has been detained in Iran since early May 2007, accused of trying to undermine and topple Iran's hard-line government by opening up the country to the West. Iran's judiciary said Tuesday, June 12, 2007 it will decide...
In this undated photo provided by Bakhash family, Haleh Esfandiari, is seen. Esfandiari has been detained in Iran since early May 2007, accused of trying to undermine and topple Iran's hard-line government...   (Associated Press)
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Tehran's Trial by TV

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