October 13, 2025

Dear Dean Lewis,

I am writing to express my strong objection to Yale University’s decision to host a seminar on U.S.–Iran Relations organized by Mr. Robert Malley, particularly the invitation extended to the former Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran (MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF).

While I fully respect the importance of academic dialogue, offering a platform to a senior representative of a regime condemned worldwide for systematic human rights violations is deeply troubling. According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report on Iran, the Iranian government continues to engage in arbitrary detentions, torture, executions without due process, restrictions on free expression, and the violent repression of women and minority groups.

Inviting such an individual risks legitimizing a government responsible for decades of abuse and injustice. It undermines Yale’s global reputation as a leader in ethical scholarship and human dignity, while sending a painful message to victims of that regime’s oppression.

I respectfully urge you and Yale University to reconsider any endorsement or participation in this seminar. Yale’s name and values should never be associated with those complicit in systematic violations of human rights.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

For further reference, the U.S. State Department’s Human Rights Reports are available at www.state.gov/reports.

Respectfully,

Fariba F. Keshavarz

Contact for Dean Pericles Lewis
Email: pericles.lewis@yale.edu.
Telephone +1 (203) 432-2900.
Address 1 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06511-8241