United States

Wife of Jailed Princeton Student Begs Trump to Talk to Iran

An American graduate student has attempted suicide during his nearly 16 months in an Iranian jail, his wife told NBC News as she pleaded with the Trump administration to help free him.

"Only the U.S. government can sort this out, only the U.S. government can help us," Qu Hua said of her husband, Princeton Ph.D. candidate Xiyue Wang. "I hope President Trump can open up a dialogue with Iranian authorities to discuss a resolution of my husband's case."

Wang, 36, was born in China but is a naturalized American citizen. He is "extremely stressed" and depressed, said Qu, with whom Wang has a 4-year-old son.

Wang was arrested in August 2016 while researching an Iranian dynasty for his degree and sentenced nearly a year later to 10 years in prison for "spying under the cover of research," according to Iran's judiciary news service.

Contact Us