Iran Protest Crackdown: Teachers Hit By Dismissals, Prosecutions, Deaths

Many Iranian teachers have been dismissed or detained, with the families completely ignoring their fates, since the wave of anti-government protests erupted across the country in the middle of September. According to information confirmed by IranWire, at least five of them have lost their lives during protests.

Died in Kerman

Zahra Lori, the principal of Rezvani-Nejad school in Kerman, the capital city of the province of the same name, has died “due to security pressures", according to the Coordinating Council of the Association of Iranian Educators’ Trade Unions. "Mrs. Zahra Lori -- who refused to hand over the names and CCTV footage to officers after the students sat down and chanted slogans, and deleted the videos -- was summoned many times and dismissed from her position as principal. She died shortly after this", the Coordinating Council said.

Died in Saqqez

IranWire sources said that Abdolrahman Bakhtiari, a retired teacher in Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, was killed in front of his home on November 17 by direct fire from the security forces.

Died in Javanrud

Erfan Kakaei died on the night of November 20 in Javanroud, Kurdistan Province, by direct fire from the security forces.

Died in Tehran

Ali Jalili, the director of Mozaffar Brothers High School in Tehran’s fourth district, passed away due to psychological pressure following successive summons to the intelligence and security departments.

Died in Zanjan

Rasoul Haddadi, a retired teacher living in Zanjan, the capital city of the province of the same name, was hit by a bullet in the neck during a rally on October 26 and died in hospital on November 24. According to information received by IranWire, the security forces took his body from Ayatollah Khomeini hospital in Tehran and buried him in Zanjan at night. He was the father of a 10-year-old girl.

Arrested in Yasouj

Masoud Ghobadi, a teacher and trade union activist in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province, was arrested for a second time on December 11 and sent to the intelligence department of the Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC) in the provincial capital, Yasouj. The activist had been released on bail on October 25 after spending about a month in custody. He was summoned and threatened many times by IRGC intelligence agents after his release. After serving 29 years in education, he was issued a mandatory retirement order in September.

Arrested in Baneh

Voria Ghadirian, a teachers' union activists and member of an environmental organization in Baneh, Kurdistan Province, was arrested on December 7, and taken to an unknown place.

Arrested in Karaj

Ten days have passed since the arrest of Masoud Farhikhteh, a teachers' union activist in Karaj, Alborz Province’s capital. The reason for his arrest and the location of his place of detention are unknown. He has had only a very short contact with his wife.

Leave Rejected in Karaj

On December 3, Esmaeil Abdi, a teacher imprisoned in Karaj's Kachoui prison, went to Evin Prison's supervision department to be granted a leave after the authorities in the prison, the Evin Prosecutor's Office and the Tehran Prosecutor's Office had agreed to it. However, Abdi was told that an officer from the “Sarolah Guard Corps" had rejected his demand.

Sentenced to prison in Qazvin

Esmaeil Khodayari is a teacher who was arrested on October 16 in Qazvin, the capital of the province of the same name. He said he was sentenced to a total of nine months on charges of "insulting the leadership" and "propaganda activity against the regime". He was acquitted of the charge of "provoking the people", and his trial on the charge of "spreading lies" was delayed by one month. "All these accusations have been attributed to me because of the publication of my writings on social media", Khodayari said.

Sentenced to prison in Kashan

Hamid Jafari Nasrabadi is a teacher, translator, football coach and writer who was arrested on October 19 in Kashan, Isfahan Province, and sentenced to 15 months and one day in prison for allegedly insulting the Iranian leadership and spreading propaganda against the clerical regime. He was also dismissed from service for two years and banned from leaving the country for two years. He is being held in Kashan’s Yazdel prison.

Arrested in Bardaskan

Ali Ameri, a teacher of physics in Bardaskan, Khorasan-e Razavi Province, was arrested at his home on the night of November 22 by police intelligence officers. He was not given any explanation. There is no information about his health condition and whereabouts.

Arrested in Malekan

Babak Nematzadeh, the education secretary of Malekan, East Azerbaijan Province, has recently been arrested. The reasons for his arrest and the location where he is being kept are unknown.

Arrested in Tehran

Akbar Zarein Rizi, a teacher in Tehran's second district, has been detained since October 26 for unknown reasons. According to the information obtained by IranWire, his salary was cut before his arrest. Rizi, a union activist in Isfahan, was previously imprisoned following protests triggered by the 2009 presidential elections, and his workplace was later transferred to Tehran.

Summoned in Bushehr

Mohammed Maleki, a teacher and trade union activist from Bushehr, the capital of the province of the same name, was summoned to the Bushehr Administrative Violations Committee on the charge of "participating in teachers' protest gatherings". Three other members of the Bushehr teachers’ union, Mahmoud Maleki, Mohsen Omrani and Habib Habibi, were summoned to the same committee.

Summoned in Khuzestan

Kokab Bodaghi Pegah, a teacher from Khuzestan Province, appeared before Branch 12 of the Revolutionary Court on November 9, and was released on bail of 200 million tomans ($5,500).

Salaries reduced in Marivan

A group of teachers in Marivan, Kurdistan Province, have had their salaries reduced following their participation in a September sit-in organized to protest the killing of students and acts of violence committed against children and other citizens.

Arrested in Fars

Jila Kheir, a well-known teachers' union activist, was arrested on November 22 at her home in Kazerun, Fars Province. There is no information about the reason behind Kheir’s arrest and the charges against her.

Arrested in East Azerbaijan

Ali Haji, a member of the board of directors of East Azarbaijan Educators' Union, appeared before a court in Jolfa on November 13, and the prosecutor did not agree to release him on bail. He is facing the charge of spreading "propaganda against the regime".

Arrested in West Azerbaijan

Esmaeil Rahmatpour, a teacher and doctoral student in physics in Urmia, was arrested on November 12. The reason for his arrest is not known.

Mohammed Hassan Davoudi, an active member of the teachers' union in West Azerbaijan, was arrested on October 27 after being severely beaten in the street. He is being held at the Urmia Intelligence Department. There is no detailed information about the charges against him.