1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: I'm Kevin Cirelli, Chief Washington correspondent from Bloomberg Television Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: There's never enough time on Bloomberg Sound On to get 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: through all of the topics that I want to And 4 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: we had an all star guest today, Ben Chang. He 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: is a former U. S diplomat, previously serving as the 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Communications director to the National Security Council. Now he's an 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: associate vice president of Communications at Princeton University. Then, earlier 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: this week, you and I were talking about a student 9 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: at Princeton University who has now been detained in Iran 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: for three years. That's right, Thank you, Kevin. Three years 11 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: ago yesterday, Wong was detained by the Iranian authorities while 12 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: he was in Iran with the approval of Iran to 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: study Farsi and continue research into his PhD dissertation. In 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: three years, he has been detained under frankly trumped up 15 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: charges of espionage. And this is towarn at the heart 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: of not only the Princeton community, but scholars and educational 17 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: institutions around the country and around the world. UH. The 18 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: U N has issued statements UH calling for his release. UH. 19 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Scores of educational institutions across Europe, and the United States 20 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: have also done the same. We have had the support 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: and backing of the US government in seeking his release. 22 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: And it's just a tragic and frankly very sad chapter 23 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: in this UH story that has been three years and 24 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: missed all the tensions we have geopolitically between the United 25 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: States and Iran. I was struck by this. The reading 26 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: from Princeton University, they say that three United Nations experts 27 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: on human rights issued a statement in which they concluded 28 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: that the Iranian authority's use of espionage charges against Mr. 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: Wrank simply for having sought access to century old historical 30 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: documents reaches the level of absurdity. And the conditions in 31 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: which is being held. Do we know about how he's 32 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: being held, the conditions that he's being held in, do 33 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: we know anything? So he's being held at Evan Prison, 34 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: which is frankly quite notorious for its conditions and for 35 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: the types of prisoners that are held there. So that 36 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: adds to the egregiousness of of this UH imprisonment. He 37 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: was there studying, as those uh UN experts noted, and 38 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: early twentieth century Eurasian history. So this was to shine 39 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: a spotlight on the history of the region. To then 40 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: turn around and call that espionage is so far from 41 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: the facts that it it really boggles the mind. Is 42 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: to what is being accomplished by holding him long? Alright? 43 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: And I got two more quick questions. First and foremost, 44 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: what is the Trump administration doing about this? What is 45 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: Secretary of Pompeo doing about this? Uh? And in the 46 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: immediate term, so the administration has made public comments about this, 47 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: from the National Security Adviser John Bolton to others. Uh, 48 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: there is a special envoy for hostage Affairs, Robert O'Brien, 49 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: who's been engaged, and we appreciate that. Uh. There is 50 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: intact that has been ongoing. Uh. There is a concern 51 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: for his health. It has been again three years since 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: anyone here, including his wife and young son, have seen him. 53 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: How old is his son? Three years old? I believe 54 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: a little child. He's growing up. Baby, he's growing up 55 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: without knowing his son. I can't even I can't even imagine. 56 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: If people want this is my if people want to 57 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: learn more about this, if they want to help in 58 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: any way, what can what can folks do to to 59 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: get this story out? Well, we as a community at 60 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: Princeton the Graduate School as well. Sarah Jane Leslie, the Dean, 61 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: has issued a statement, UM continue to UH keep a 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: leisure focus on this UM and UH and we appreciate 63 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: the support that that that the families received, that we received. 64 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: I misspoke. The sun is is growing up. He's a 65 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: he's a young child. Now he didn't know his father, 66 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: but three years at that age you begin to of 67 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: course his memory of your course. So people want to 68 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: get involved, what do they do? Contact us at Princeton. UH. 69 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: And we appreciate all the expressions of support that we 70 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: can get. All right. Ben Chang, former comp s Director 71 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: for the National Security Council, a former diplomat, and now 72 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: he is a spokesperson for Princeton University. Thank you for 73 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: sharing this story. That's it for me. Kevin Cerelli, Chief Washington, 74 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,119 Speaker 1: corresponded for Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Radio.