Cambridge Investigates Academic Misconduct Allegations Against Scholar Shirin Saeedi

Cambridge University Press and the University of Cambridge are investigating allegations of academic misconduct against Shirin Saeedi, an Iranian-American professor recently dismissed from the University of Arkansas. The scrutiny focuses on her book, 'Women and the Islamic Republic,' which is accused of containing fabricated or unauthorized interviews with women victims of the Iranian government. Prominent figures, including memoirist Maryam Nouri and former prisoner Nasrin Parvez, have publicly denied being interviewed by Saeedi, accusing her of stealing their narratives without consent. Additionally, Ladan Boroumand of the Coalition Against Supporters of the Islamic Republic highlighted Saeedi's controversial defense of Hamid Nouri, a convict involved in the 1988 prison massacres, and called for a transparent inquiry into the verification processes of Saeedi’s doctoral supervisor, Professor Glen Rangwala. While Saeedi and her legal team have not responded to media inquiries, the universities maintain that they are following standard ethical guidelines and confidential procedures to address these serious claims regarding documentation, informed consent, and source validity in scholarly work.