Aziz Qasemzadeh, a Prominent Cultural Activist, Permanently Expelled by the Ministry of Education

In the ongoing pressure on teachers' rights activists, the Ministry of Education issued a permanent expulsion order for Aziz Qasemzadeh, a prominent cultural and educational activist. Mr. Qasemzadeh, who is currently being held in Lakan Prison in Rasht for a political case, learned of his permanent expulsion from the Ministry while in prison. The Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions reported that the 'Preliminary Board for Investigating Violations of Ministry of Education Employees in Gilan Province' identified participation in teachers' protests, singing songs at protest gatherings, and giving interviews to foreign news networks as examples of Mr. Qasemzadeh's offenses. Part of the ruling states: 'The accused has committed actions under the pretext of teachers' protests that are outside the goals and demands of teachers, which is in line with the satisfaction of the enemies of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic, and propaganda against the sacred system of the Islamic Republic has been established for the board.' The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions described Mr. Qasemzadeh's expulsion as 'oppressive and malicious.' Aziz Qasemzadeh, who has 25 years of experience in education, had previously been sentenced to one year in prison by the Third Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht for 'propaganda against the system.' This week, the body investigating 'administrative violations of employees of the Ministry of Education in Alborz Province' ordered the expulsion of Sara Siahpour, a teacher and union activist. Ms. Siahpour, who was also sentenced to six years in prison for participating in protests, has about 17 years of teaching and educational assistant experience. Ms. Siahpour had published a photo without compulsory hijab on her account and supported the protesters. In recent months, pressure on union activists and teachers has increased. Earlier, Voice of America reported that Atekeh Rajabi, a teachers' union activist, was tried in the Seventh Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mashhad. Additionally, Shiva Ameli-Rad, a former representative of the Marivan Teachers' Union, and Fariba Enami, a teacher from Gilan Province, recently received expulsion orders. After her six-year prison sentence, Sara Siahpour was also expelled from the Ministry of Education. A government official stated that about one-fourth of first-grade children have not yet registered for school. The expulsion of protesting teachers continues; the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions stated that protests will continue. The pressure on teachers' union activists continues; Atekeh Rajabi was tried without reviewing the indictment. Temporary release of Mohammad Habibi; four members of the Bushehr Teachers' Union were summoned. Three weeks of uncertainty about Aziz Qasemzadeh; a request has been made to return this union activist to Lakan Prison.