Six Students from Tehran University Arrested for Assaulting Mahisefat

Six students from Tehran University named: Gholam Abbas Angooti (Computer Engineering student), Jahanbakhsh Rahnama (Geography student), Vali Abolhasani (History student), Alireza Farshi (Computer Engineering student), Ali Rezaei (Computer Engineering student), and Hassan Safari (Computer Engineering student) have been arrested on charges of assaulting Mahisefat and disrupting national security. The incident began when, according to a permit issued by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mahisefat was scheduled to perform for three nights. On the first night of the event, which was Wednesday night, when Mr. Mahisefat took the stage, the atmosphere in the cinema gradually changed. Before starting the main part of the program, while sincerely thanking the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for granting permission for such events and for their cooperation in distributing their CDs, he announced that he would tell ethnic jokes. To legitimize this action, Mahisefat sought permission from the audience. Some attendees enthusiastically encouraged him. However, when he specifically referred to Azerbaijanis as 'Azeri compatriots' and questioned the permission to tell jokes about Turks, loud shouts of 'no' were clearly heard from the audience! In response to the negative reactions from many attendees, while laughing, Mr. Mahisefat loudly declared: 'I will definitely tell these jokes tonight! Azerbaijanis who cannot bear to hear these jokes can leave the hall and have tea outside!' This rude reaction incited the anger of opponents of ethnic jokes. Eventually, three audience members, after Mahisefat ignored the protests from some attendees, rushed to the stage and engaged in a scuffle with him before fleeing the scene. The next day, Thursday night, a group of Tehran University students, unaware that the event had been canceled for that night, gathered at Ferdowsi Cinema to condemn the violent behavior from Wednesday night and demand action against Mahisefat and the officials in the Ministry of Culture who issued the permit for such an event. However, outside Ferdowsi Cinema, they were confronted by individuals who, apparently, Mahisefat had hired. After being severely beaten by these hired thugs, the students were handed over to law enforcement. That same night, the students were temporarily released on bail from their friends to appear in court on Sunday, but unfortunately, after their appearance on Sunday, they were arrested again and taken to an unknown location. Efforts to ascertain their status have been unsuccessful, and only news from Shargh newspaper regarding the continuation of their trial has been published, which comes from Mahisefat's brother. Meanwhile, the Turkish students at Tehran University are seeking permission to hold a protest against the recent events and the detention of the aforementioned students. They have announced that if permission is not granted, they will express their protests on December 7.