Vahid Abedini, who colleagues said was in the United States on an H-1B visa, was arrested on his way to a conference in Washington. It was unclear why.
By Mark Arsenault
Nov. 25, 2025Updated 3:35 p.m. ET
Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, said Dr. Abedini’s detainment would have a chilling effect on international scholars in the United States. Mr. Azodi said he did not know Dr. Abedini extremely well but they had met several times.
Mr. Azodi, who said he was an American citizen originally from #Iran, added that many international scholars were being “forced into silence” by fear of arrest. “They are afraid to speak and to write what they think in papers,” he said.