Collective Protest by Students at Tehran University Against the Denial of Educational Rights of Activists from the 'Women, Life, Freedom' Movement

Independent student organizations from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tehran University and over 200 students from this faculty protested in a letter against the ongoing denial of educational rights and the banning of entry for some student activists and detainees from the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. The letter references events that occurred at universities during the 'Mahsa' movement, stating: 'Nearly eight months after the protests, universities, by hastily changing disciplinary regulations and holding mass disciplinary committees, are increasingly pursuing a project to cleanse universities and eliminate students and professors across the country, specifically targeting the right to education and presence of students at universities through 'expulsion', 'suspension', and 'banning of entry' orders.' The authors of this protest letter further emphasized: 'The government's efforts have not only failed to halt the student movement but have also opened a space for resistance and protest against repression in universities. This time, we, the organizations and students of Tehran University, declare that we will not remain silent against the cleansing of universities and the continued denial of our classmates' right to education, and we will continue our resistance and protest until their return to study and the university environment.' Concurrently with nationwide protests in Iran in 2022, human rights organizations reported the participation and support of students from over 100 universities across the country in the protests. Intimidation and beatings in the university environment, threats and intimidation of families, banning of entry, and arrests by security agencies outside the university were part of the government's efforts to suppress and silence students' voices in support of the nationwide protests.