7 Kurdish Teachers Face Dismissal, Disciplinary Action for Union Activism

The Kurdistan Teachers' Union reported on Wednesday that seven teachers in Divandarreh and Saqqez have received dismissal orders and disciplinary punishments for their union activities.

According to the union’s statement, four teachers from the Divandarreh branch - Parviz Ehsani, Kaveh Mohammadzadeh, Hiva Qoreishi, and Omid Shahmohammadi - were dismissed for advocating teachers’ and students’ rights.

In Saqqez, three teachers received disciplinary sentences: Shahram Karimi was suspended for six months, Zolqamollah Moradi for one year, and Soleiman Abdi was forced into early retirement with a two-grade job demotion.

The union added that similar sentences were issued in recent days for seven teachers and union activists in Sanandaj.

The actions contradict recent remarks by Fovad Hosseini, Kurdistan province’s director-general of education, who told media outlets that no teachers had been dismissed in the province.

Iranian authorities have frequently targeted teachers’ union activists with dismissals and disciplinary measures in response to strikes and protests over poor working conditions and low wages.