A Group of Students from Tehran University of Art: The Conviction of Khashayar Safidi is a Disregard for His Civil Rights

A group of students from Tehran University of Art has requested the follow-up on the status of Khashayar Safidi, a protesting student who was banned from entering the university and subsequently expelled for holding a sit-in in the university courtyard and performing "Ey Iran" during the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests. Khashayar Safidi has now received a one-year prison sentence due to his sit-in and hunger strike in protest against the situation of Tomaj Salehi, a protesting rapper. In their letter, they protested the suspension, expulsion, and issuance of prison sentences without following the relevant administrative and legal processes, deeming it a "violation of his basic and civil rights." The letter emphasized that the fabrication of cases against students without "specific documentation" two years after the "events of 1401" has had a detrimental impact on the university and the lives and mental health of students. Khashayar Safidi has consistently reacted to social and political issues through art, including the downing of PS752 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Since the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, he has expressed his dissent peacefully, including performing pieces in mourning for Kian Pirfalak and Armita Garavand, which he shared on his Instagram page. In July of this year, he was sentenced to one year in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court for "propaganda against the regime." This 32-year-old student activist stated in an Instagram message that the issuance of this sentence was due to his sit-in and hunger strike at the House of Music in May to protest the "unjust sentence" of execution for Tomaj Salehi, the imprisoned rapper. Khashayar Safidi wrote on Instagram, "I am worried for Tomaj's life. I am worried and there is nothing I can do. I can only show my relationship with the blatant oppression faced by Tomaj and others like him with everything I have, my body and my will." He also mentioned that the constitution of the Islamic Republic is ineffective in restoring the rights of the people against authoritarian and inefficient governance, and as long as it remains in place, he will not participate in any elections. Over the past three years, Islamic Republic officials have attempted to suppress protests through the expulsion, suspension, and issuance of heavy sentences for students and professors. Reports from student organizations indicate that during this time, universities have primarily been managed by security forces. A new regulation for recruiting university faculty members states that participation in gatherings or signing protest statements is a barrier to employment. Government pressure on academics has led to the expulsion of Solmaz Akbarzadeh, a law professor in Bushehr, and Zahra Mousavi, the daughter of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard. The death of a female student due to the prevention of medical staff from entering dormitories, protests against the "installation of cameras" on the uniforms of Sharif University security forces, and reports from the Global Student Assembly about nationwide protests in Iran indicate that 70,000 students participated in the "Mahsa Revolution." Students have recounted their experiences of security forces' confrontations, entering universities with fear and anxiety. Protests against the "suppression" of optional hijab have led some students at Amir Kabir University to refuse to attend classes. The conviction of a distinguished student to three years and seven months in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran has also been reported.