US Scientific circles say detention ‘shameless’

An Iranian university professor says that the US academic circles have deemed his detention a shame for American people.
Dr. Mojtaba Atarodi, lecturer in Sharif University of Technology told reporters today in Imam Khomeini International Airport in his way back to country after 16 months in house arrest that he would thank God and also “thank people and the officials for their good offices.”

“My specialty area is designing, teaching and studying integrated macro electronic circuits,” Atarodi told reporters about his specialty. “I have been frequenting to the US for 30 years, and for 12 years, I have been studying in higher education. Then, I came back to Iran, while frequenting the US,” added he.

“When I was arrested, I was preparing for an annual conference on solid circuits held each February in San Francisco. Before that, a session had been planned with my advisor, which failed due to my arrest,” added he.

“Aside from their behavior when they arrested me, the US officials had generally good behavior,” Atarodi said. He also commented on his defense of himself in the court. “When the judge studied my case, he said that he had learned much from the case, because it was unique,” he added.

In response to a question about his activity, Atarodi said that inactivity was as death for him. “I would continue to my career if they arrested me 10 times more,” he asserted.

He also denied the story that he had been banned from entering the US as ‘gossip’