Iranian student organizations are asking the public to support their protest against the continued imprisonment of student activists in Iran.
In a campaign called “Be the Voice of Enchained Students”, the union of Islamic Student Associations from across the country, Tahkim-e Vahdat, and the alumni association Danesh Amoukhtegan Organization issued a joint statement on Advar News, the official website of the latter student organization.
“The office of Tahkim-e Vahdat and Danesh Amoukhtegan Organization of Iran, while expressing disgust over the continued imprisonment of political prisoners and the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement, celebrate the perseverance of the 29 enchained students and protest against their continued imprisonment, as we urge support for these detainees from universities, human rights and civic organizations and Iranians inside and outside the country,” the student organizations write.
The announcement makes reference to a statement by Labour Minister Kamran Daneshjoo, who recently said that supporters of the Green Movement will be forbidden from attending university.
Following the 2009 presidential elections, mass protests challenged the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with allegations of vote fraud. The protest movement became known as the Green Movement, and its supporters from all walks of life were severely suppressed by the government, especially student and human rights activists as well as journalists.
Today’s statement calls for “academic freedom” and the return of the detained students to their classes and universities.
The crackdown on protesters has been ongoing and very extensive. Last week, Kamran Daneshjoo said: “Those who were involved in the 2009 sedition and continued the seditious activities, even after the Supreme Leader finalized the election outcome, are forbidden from entering universities.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader sided with Ahmadinejad in the 2009 elections and refused to allow for a recount, despite widespread allegations of vote fraud.
Tahkim-e Vahdat has provided a comprehensive file to Ahmad Shaheed, the UN rapporteur on human rights in Iran, describing violations of students’ rights in prisons and students being banned from universities all across the country.
The report indicates that in the two years following the 2009 election, the Islamic Republic government was involved in at least 2,000 instances of student-rights violations.
