UC Lecturer Accused of Spying Freed on Bail in Iran
Associated Press
Nov. 9, 2003
On Sunday, Iranian authorities released a UC Berkeley lecturer imprisoned on suspicion of espionage since July, Iranian prosecutor’s office spokesman Mohammad Shadabi said.
Dariush Zahedi, an Iranian-born American citizen, was freed after his relatives posted bail of $250,000, Shadabi told The Associated Press late Sunday. He gave no further details.
A close friend of Zahedi, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the AP that the lecturer was free to leave Iran but was required to return to stand possible trial. He said Zahedi appeared healthy and fine after being released.
Zahedi was taken to Evin prison, north of Tehran, on July 10 on suspicion of espionage activities while visiting relatives in Iran.
Zahedi, a part-time lecturer at UC Berkeley since 2001, has written a book titled “The Iranian Revolution Then and Now: Indicators of Regime Instability” and was supposed to teach a class on war and peace in the Middle East. He also teaches at Santa Clara University.
Sweaters, Jeans Swiped in Telegraph Gap Heist
Daily Californian
Nov. 7, 2003
More than $400 worth of jeans and sweaters were stolen from the Telegraph Avenue Gap in Berkeley on Wednesday evening, police said.
An employee saw the two thieves walking out of the store laden with various pieces of clothing about 5:45 p.m., and alerted police, Berkeley Police Officer Rob Rittenhouse said.
The Telegraph Avenue Gap is a frequent target of thieves, Rittenhouse said.
Earlier this year, approximately 40 pairs of khaki pants were stolen from the store, amounting to a theft of about $2,000.
The thieves were described as two black males, between 23 and 25 years old. One was about 6 feet tall and 170 pounds. The other was described as having dark hair and a medium build.
UCSD Campus Helps Fire Victims
UCSD Guardian
Nov. 3, 2003
The recent wildfires that swept through San Diego County caused thousands to evacuate and hundreds of others to lose their homes. While the UCSD campus was not harmed by any of the fires, its students found ways to aid those directly affected by the disaster.
A group of students living at Revelle College organized a meeting on Oct. 28. During that meeting, the students formed UCSD Community Cares, a group working to help the victims of the wildfire.
The group set up a table on Library Walk on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, collecting both monetary donations and other items such as soap, shampoo and other necessities.
“We realized how severe these fires actually were and that they were actually coming close, and that houses were being destroyed and crumbled by these fires,” said Eleanor Roosevelt College freshman Jessica Mann, founder of UCSD Community Cares.
In its two days of donation requests, the group collected over $3,000 in addition to items including toys, food and clothes.
For those who could contribute several days of service, attending a Red Cross volunteer training session was one way to help the community. However, due to an overflow of volunteers, the group of UCSD volunteers was turned away from the evacuation shelters.
Several other student organizations also set up their own collections to show their support for the victims of the fire. Service group Still Thoughts Association and the Hillel of San Diego also set up booths on Library Walk in an effort to raise money for the Red Cross.
“Some of our own members live near the disaster area,” Still Thoughts Association secretary Johnson Yen said. “We kind of saw the tragedy up close, and so we felt like we wanted to do something about it. We needed to help these people.”
