A Student Organization: The Lives of Students Are Not Important to Tehran University Officials

The Student Guild Councils of the country reacted to the killing of "Ali Mohammad Khalqi Darmian," a 19-year-old undergraduate student in business at Tehran University's Faculty of Management, stating: "The lives of students are not only not a priority for university officials but have absolutely no importance in university policymaking." According to police reports, this student was attacked with a sharp object by two motorcycle robbers while returning to the student dormitory in the Amirabad area of Tehran on Wednesday night, February 24. During the robbery of his backpack, the victim was stabbed. Based on this report, he died on Thursday morning, February 25, as a result of the injuries sustained from this attack. The Student Guild Councils wrote that insecurity and the occurrence of robberies in the area behind the Tehran University dormitory have led to the loss of a 19-year-old's life, while such incidents have been happening continuously for many years, every day and every week, in this location and around other dormitory complexes. According to this student organization, insecurity, theft, robbery, and violence in this area have previously resulted in injuries and harm to students. Accordingly, the Student Guild Councils emphasized that despite continuous reports from students about these incidents and the insecurity of the environments surrounding student dormitories, and protests and requests for the safety of students to Tehran University officials, the university has taken no action in this regard. According to the Student Guild Councils, a significant portion of the university's policymaking and budget is spent on police-security control, purchasing equipment, and hiring personnel for suppression, and university officials shamelessly refer to the incident as "a murder outside the university grounds," showing that they are neither accountable nor responsible for the lost life, and they have even put the burden of follow-up on the students. In this context, the online newspaper "Faraz" reported that on Thursday evening, following the news of the murder of this 19-year-old student, several dormitory students gathered in the Koy square. This online media added that the students protested the indifference of the security and the lack of follow-up by university officials to ensure the safety of the dormitory area. According to these students, the area behind the university dormitory located on Amirabad Street lacks sufficient security, and many students have been attacked by robbers until now. Faraz quoted protesting students stating that prior to this incident, students had pursued this issue, but the Tehran University security had dealt with it. One of the students present at the Tehran University dormitory gathering told the Faraz online newspaper: "We have repeatedly requested the university to take action for the security of this entrance. For example, a police kiosk could be established there or the lighting in that area could be increased. However, the officials at tonight's gathering said they had pursued this matter with the police, but it yielded no results. We request that the university officials file a complaint against the police station."