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Jean-FrancoisBayart, Professor at the IHEID, GenevaBéatrice Hibou, Senior Research Fellow CNRS (CERI-Sciences Po)Originally published in French in Le Monde 26 December 2019Dying to do Research in Iran?FaribaAdelkhah and Roland Marchal two researchers at Sciences Po University in Pariswere arrested together at the beginning of June in Tehran. The pretexts used tojustify their arbitrary arrest – espionage, jeopardizing state security andother nonsensical accusations – seem to be as credible in the Middle East todayas were the indictments during the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. Sincetheir arbitrary arrest in June Fariba Adelkhah and Roland Marchal have beenlanguishing in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, cut off from world exceptfor a monthly visit from the French Consul for Ronald Marchal - but not forFariba Adelkhah because of her double French-Iranian nationality - and the rareand limited telephone calls with their family, occasional conversations withtheir lawyers and, perhaps, for Faiba Adelkah some fleeting contact with hersister.Diplomaticefforts by the French authorities to obtain their release have, so far, beenfruitless. An Iranian lower court requested their release with bail in December,but the Iranian public prosecutor overturned this decision and transferred thecase to a Revolutionary Tribunal. In other words, the two French researchersseem destined for long term imprisonment, like the fifteen or so other Westernacademics held in Iran for years, to be released according to the whims of theIranian authorities when it seems to meet some less than transparent politicalagenda. Given thissombre perspective, Fariba Adelkhah decided on the 23th December alongside anAustralian colleague, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who herself has been arbitrarilyimprisoned for some fifteen months, to undertake a limitless hunger strike to obtaintheir freedom. This drastic action was also undertaken to protest against theelementary rights to academic freedom of all researchers in the Middle East. Thetwo academics condemn themselves to an atrocious death. Nothing would seem tocall into question their determination. Several years ago Fariba Adelkhahcreated an internet women discussion group on social issues on Telegram with theemblematic title, “The Lionesses”. As friends and colleagues for many years weare absolutely convinced that Fariba is quite prepared to die as a lioness todefend her freedom, that of her vocation as a researcher and her human dignity,after having experienced the psychological torture she mentions in the lettershe cosigned with Kylie Moore-Gilbert and that have been confirmed by several testimoniescoming from the prison since November. It is to be feared that once RolandMarchal becomes aware of their joint terrifying decision, he will join them insolidarity.Our Turkishcolleagues, confronted under similar circumstance against an authoritarianregime consider a hunger strike can be characterized as the battle of Davidagainst Goliath.&#160; Alas, even a democraticnation such as Britain could allow a hunger striker to die. Nevertheless, howcould we not accept the decision of our colleagues, however painful it may be?How can we be deaf to their plea, for it is indeed a plea? A&#160; plea not only for their individual liberty,but a plea for the unhindered pursuit of knowledge, of academic freedom, of thefreedom to think. In short, a plea for our own freedom.We are veryconscious and appreciative of the untiring efforts of the French government toobtain the release of Fariba and Roland. But the time has come for results. Itis time also for the Iranian government to stop avoiding its responsibilitiesby proffering as an excuse for their pernicious inaction the factionalcleavages within their hybrid political system which justifies the inability ofthe so-called “moderates” from being kind and reasonable. As much as we know, Iranhas only one seat at the United Nations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are aninstitutional component of the Iranian State, under the authority of theSupreme Leader. Under his authority—or more accurately that of his delegate—,theExpediency Discernment Council and the Supreme National Security Council arethe two competent institutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran in thissituation. The freedom of our colleagues is in their hands, the responsibilityfor their deaths also.