Statement from Esha Momeni's thesis adviser, Melissa Wall

"Classes begin next week and still the Iranian government has not allowed 

our graduate student, Esha Momeni, to return to the United States. Esha was 
first arrested and jailed in October for conducting video interviews for her 
master's thesis about the Iranian women's movement. Although she was 
released in November on a $200,000 bail, she was not allowed to leave Iran 
and missed the entire fall semester.  If she does not return within the next 
few weeks, she will miss spring semester as well.  As 2009 begins, everyone 
is paying close attention to Iran.  The government of Iran has said that it 
wants educational exchanges with the United States, yet it will not allow 
Esha, a dual national, to do exactly that – to return to the U.S. to 
continue her academic work, which aims to present a positive image of 
Iranian women to the West.  In the spirit of supporting cross-cultural 
understanding, we are asking that Esha be allowed to return to California 
this month to resume her studies."