World Politics Review friend and contributor Iason Athanasiadis was arrested by the government of Iran this week, and World Politics Review joins the Washington Times, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Global Post, the Neiman Foundation, and Iason’s friends and family in calling for his release.
A Greek citizen who lived in Iran as a journalist and student for three years, and who obtained fluency in Farsi during that period, Iason’s coverage of Iran and regions beyond for World Politics Review and numerous other publications has been characterized by a rare dedication to objectivity, intellectual honesty and cultural understanding. His love for Iran is obvious in his coverage of that country, and his sensitivity to the shared humanity of all the world’s people — from the Kalash of Pakistan to U.S. soldiers in Iraq to Roma in Istanbul — particularly comes through in his photography.
Iason’s news, analysis and photo essays for World Politics Review (released from behind the firewall that limits archive access to subscribers) are available here.