The case caused a stir in Iran: a well-known 84-year-old professor was kidnapped on the street. The doctor, who is also considered the "father of genetics" in Iran, was only released after 36 hours and named the reason for the kidnapping: Apparently his critical statements were not well received.
A renowned Iranian professor spoke publicly for the first time after being kidnapped for several days. In an interview with the newspaper "Etemad", the doctor Dariusch Farhud gave details of his kidnapping in Tehran. When he left the house early in the morning, two unidentified men in dark clothing stood in front of a vehicle and said to him: "We are driving in your car". The well-known professor, who is considered the "father of genetics" in Iran, described the men as highly professional. It is still unclear who was behind the kidnapping.
The case of Farhud has caused a stir in Iran, where anti-system mass protests have been going on for several weeks. Usually older people and professors are highly respected in Iranian society. The kidnapping of 84-year-old Farhud is therefore cited by critics as an example of increasing levels of intimidation in the country.
When asked about the reason for his kidnapping, the strangers called the doctor's critical statements. "People protest and criticize, especially when the person is a teacher. It's my job to criticize. That's my role," Farhud continued. During the 36 hours he was abducted, he hardly slept and was very worried.
State media on Monday wrote about Farhud's case, contradicting reports of a kidnapping. Whether the professor was kidnapped in connection with the system-critical protests remained uncertain. In the past few days, however, several prominent athletes and cultural workers have been arrested. Again and again there are accusations that critics are put under pressure and express publicly forced confessions.
According to human rights activists, at least 14,000 people were arrested during the mass demonstrations, which have been going on for around six weeks. The trigger was the death of the young Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini on September 16. She died in police custody after being arrested by the so-called morality police for violating Islamic dress codes.
