Cancer researcher refused entry to U.S. in Boston allegedly has ties to 'hardliner' Iranian militia group accused of 'human rights abuses' #FREEIRAN
Updated on July 14, 2017
Dehnavi, who had traveled from Iran with his wife and three children, arrived in Boston at the start of the week but was "deemed inadmissible to the U.S. based on information discovered during the CBP inspection." At the time, the reasoning for Dehnavi's detainment was not released. The researcher and his family were sent back to Iran Tuesday.
Now the Associated Press has revealed that Dehnavi is alleged to have ties to a "hardliner" Iranian militia group known as the Basij; a group, which, in the past, has been accused of "human rights abuses," and which functions as a paramilitary wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The AP story refers to a report by Iranian state television aired Thursday that identifies Dehnavi as the former head of a student branch of the Basij at Iran's Sharif University, a public institution located in Tehran ranked as one of the top schools in the Middle East.
Dehnavi reportedly served in the position in 2007.
Though the specific roles Dehnavi would have played as head of the Basij at the school are unclear, the organization is known for its militancy and outspoken anti-U.S. sentiments.
The Basij is characterized as a "auxiliary force" of the IRGC, Iran's "most powerful security and military organization," according to the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), a government funded think tank.
The Trump administration briefly considered designating the IRGC a "terrorist group" earlier this year due to its staunch anti-American stances.
Basij controls large aspects of Iranian society, according to USIP. The organization is a volunteer-based group that is tasked with a number of responsibilities, including "internal security, law enforcement, special religious or political events" as well as "morals policing."
The Basij have reportedly grown in power in Iran since a tumultuous, contested presidential election in 2009, during which mass protests erupted over perceived vote manipulation that resulted in the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After the election, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei allegedly used the group to "counter perceived threats" to the state, crackdown on protesters and to advance "the militarization of the Iranian regime," according to USIP.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a U.S.-funded broadcasting organization that disseminates news and policy analysis, reported on the case Wednesday, claiming that the Basij is "notorious for its anti-U.S. stances."
RFE/RL, which was previously funded by the CIA during the Cold War, noted that though news of "Dehnavi's detention and deportation received widespread coverage," there were no reports that "included information about his alleged Basij background."
RFE/RL further revealed details surrounding the allegations against the researcher, quoting a number of former Sharif University students who alleged Dehnavi had spied on and committed "physical attacks" on students at the school.
"He was among [the Basiji] who would photograph students protesting inside or outside the university," one of the students alleged. "Then a few days later, those students would be arrested," he said.
Amir Etemadi, the editor of Iranian media outlet Taghato, claimed in an interview with RFE/RL that the Basij are known for their anti-American stances.
"In Iran, [the hard-liners] say one day we will turn the White House into a [mosque]," Etemadi said. "It's the slogan of IRGC and Basij members. It may be an exaggeration but I think they believe in this slogan. They believe they have to come to the United States if they want to deal a blow to the country."
National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President Trita Parsi commented on the case Wednesday, condemning the interpretation that Dehnavi was denied entry due to his relationship with the Iranian military organization.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Parsi claimed that the NIAC was "not aware of anything about his background except that he was a cancer researcher admitted to a postdoc at Harvard. I find it unlikely that his denial of entry had anything to do with his past in the Basij, since these are things that are carefully reviewed before he even gets a visa."
No official explanation for Dehnavi's denial of entry to the U.S. has so far been given.
In a statement released Thursday the Children's Hospital in Boston stated that they had no information as to why Dehnavi was turned away.
"He was due to come to Boston Children's as a visiting scholar on a J-1 visa. His visa had been approved by the State Department prior to travel," the statement reads. "Boston Children's has no additional information about the basis for denying Dr. Denhavi entry to the U.S.," it concludes.
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