Rough translation of BBC Persian Service on Kian Tajbakhsh

The translation below is a quick effort by a non-professional volunteer, Azadeh Ensha, whom I would like to thank. As soon as an authoritative version is available I will post it or a link.

Article follows:

15:51 GMT Tuesday 4 September 2007

Kian Tajbakhsh will be freed

Kian Tajbakhsh, a social science researcher, who was accused of undermining national security and spying and who was arrested in Iran will be freed on bail.

State television of Iran quoted Hassan Hadad, prosecutor for the national security court in Tehran, reported that the investigation of the special court into Mr. Tajbakhsh is ongoing, and that after completion of the investigation, he will be released on bail.

Mr. Tajbakhsh, a social science researcher and a consultant to the American Organization called Open Society, which is related to George Soros Foundation, was arrested about four months ago and accused of activities and propaganda for spying and espionage for foreign powers.

A few days after news of his arrest was made public in the Washington Post on 29 May, Alireza Jamshidi, a spokesman for the Judiciary in Iran, confirmed his arrest in a press conference in Tehran.

The spokesman for the Judiciary said about Mr. Tajbakhsh, "This Iranian national is temporarily arrested because he is accused of having activities against the security of the country and he was active in propaganda and spying for foreigners."

Mr. Tajbakhsh is 45-years-old. From 2004, he was working with the plans of International Bank for Iran and he was an active consultant for some of the Iranian governmental organizations. His expertise is public health and urban problems.

A while back, Iranian television program under the title of "In The Name of Democracy" broadcast that Mr. Tajbakhsh, Haleh Esfandiari and Ramin Jahabegloo explained their activities separately.

In this program, Mr. Tajbakhsh said he was working for the Soros Foundation in three different issues concerning Iran. One was open programs, the other was culture and organization making and the third was a long term program to introduce the point of view of the Open Society Institute to Iran.

Owing to his expertise in urban development, said that he was giving Soros Foundation ideas in the area of social and cultural changes in Iran, he tried to connect people of the foundation with people from Iranian institutions and also to organize plans that were not necessarily in his line of expertise.

The Soros Foundation is an institute which is close to the Democratic party in America and Kian Tajbakhsh in part of his talk on television said "that the reason that the American government gave permission to Soros Foundation to have activities and projects in Iran means they have a united approach to Iranian affairs in spite of their differences between Soros Foundation and the Republican party of Mr. Bush."

Haleh Esfandiari, the other Iranian-American researcher, who was arrested at about the same time as Mr. Tajbakhsh on similar accusations, was freed on the 30th of Mordad and left Iran on Monday, the 3rd of September. Also, it's been reported that the passport of Parnaz Azima, the Farda Radio broadcaster who was also forbidden to leave Iran for activities against the regime, received her passport back. Shirin Ebadi, one of the attorneys for Ms. Azima, said to BBC Persian that the justice government last night agreed to return the passport of Azima. Mrs. Ebadi said that her client, who up to now was forbidden to leave Iran, is planning to leave Iran, but will return for her trial.