Prominent Australian academic denies links to powerful Iranian politician
Summary
A University of Melbourne professor, Abbas Rajabifard, denied any collaboration with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, after his name appeared on a research article co-authored with Ghalibaf without his knowledge. Rajabifard said he was unaware of being listed as a co-author and has had his name removed from the article.Key Facts
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is the speaker of Iran’s parliament and leads peace talks with the US.
- Ghalibaf appeared as a co-author on a research article with Prof Abbas Rajabifard of the University of Melbourne.
- Rajabifard denied involvement in the article and said he did not consent to be listed as a co-author.
- The article was published in March 2023 in an Iran-based academic journal.
- Rajabifard’s name remained on the article and a UN database for over two years before removal.
- Rajabifard visited the University of Tehran in 2016-2017 as part of an official university delegation and gave a seminar there.
- Australia’s foreign affairs minister asked universities to pause cooperation with Iranian academics due to human rights concerns.
- There are currently no Australian sanctions against Ghalibaf, the University of Tehran, or the journal publisher.
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