Escalating Repression of University Students, Academics in Iran

Reports have emerged in recent days of university students and professors being banned and suspended by the authorities amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent.

Mohsen Ranani, a faculty member of Tehran University's Department of Economics, said on his Telegram account that two professors from Isfahan University’s Faculty of Theology were suspended and had their salaries blocked without prior notice. 

Mohammad Sultani was suspended over his Instagram posts, while Mehdi Moti’s suspension is based on a "distorted and biased" report from one of his classes.

The authorities have also used repressive tactics against students. The licenses of student associations and union councils have been revoked in various universities, while many students have been subjected to beatings and summoned to disciplinary committees.

At Tehran’s Allameh University, students described the "exclusion of activists and the elimination of institutions" as being part of a "code for repression." 

"We would like to remind and warn all academics at Allameh University that the university's bullying behavior not only hinders our ability to engage in collective activities but also poses a threat to our very lives,” the students said in a statement. 

“We call upon all those who value the university to come together and unite against its suppression," they added.