April 30, 2025 – For over 18 months, the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) has campaigned for the removal of Seyed Hossein Mousavian from Princeton University, his deportation from the United States, and his prosecution for involvement in the assassination of at least 24 Iranian dissidents abroad.
In a letter to the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Princeton defended Mousavian’s employment by citing his Ph.D. as justification. We demand that the university publicly release his doctoral dissertation, which remains inaccessible through academic databases, ProQuest, the British Library, and the University of Kent’s own archives. Despite multiple emails to various departments and an in-person visit to Kent’s library, no copy was located.
We further demand:
- Mousavian’s immediate dismissal from Princeton;
- The Department of Homeland Security review Mousavian’s visa and deports him from U.S. soil;
- The German government request Mousavian’s extradition to stand trial for the assassination of Fereydoun Farrokhzad and other Islamic Republic of Iran regime-ordered killings in Europe.
Mousavian’s recent Twitter feud with Senator Ted Cruz, in which he invited the Senator to a debate, is part of a broader public relations effort to whitewash Mousavian’s record. Mousavian’s rebranding as a “peace scholar” is disingenuous. While ambassador to Germany, Mousavian was in office during a wave of regime-backed assassinations, including the Mykonos Restaurant murders and Farrokhzad’s brutal killing in Bonn.
Moreover, Mousavian has publicly defended the fatwa against author Salman Rushdie, has a documented history of antisemitism, and has openly expressed support for U.S.-designated terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. His praise for these extremist groups, responsible for the deaths of American, Israeli, and Iranian civilians, further underscores his alignment with the Islamic Republic’s radical agenda. His continued presence on a U.S. university campus raises serious concerns. Mousavian’s close ties to state-sponsored terrorism and theocratic repression should disqualify him from any role in American academia.
In our meetings with Senator Cruz’s office and the House Education and Oversight Committees, AAIRIA has consistently demanded accountability. We’re encouraged by Senator Cruz’s public stand and call on other members of Congress, especially Princeton alumni, to join in demanding Mousavian’s removal.
No American academic refuge for regime agents. Justice for the victims.
