Confirmation of Sara Siyahpour's Dismissal; A Teachers' Union: Repression Will Ignite Hidden Anger

The Telegram channel of the Coordinating Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran reported on Tuesday, February 20, the confirmation of the dismissal of Sara Siyahpour, a protesting teacher and active member of the teachers' union, by the Islamic Republic government, stating: "These repressions will ignite the hidden anger of teachers more than ever." According to the report, the Appeals Committee of the Ministry of Education's Disciplinary Board confirmed the dismissal of Sara Siyahpour, an active member of the unions in Tehran and Alborz provinces, in its entirety. Earlier, the Court of Appeals of the Judiciary confirmed Ms. Siyahpour's six-year prison sentence in July of this year. She had been sentenced in the Islamic Revolutionary Court to five years of imprisonment for the charge of "collusion and conspiracy against national security" and one year for the charge of "propaganda against the regime." Additionally, she was sentenced to two years of travel ban and two years of prohibition from membership in political parties, groups, and activities in cyberspace. Sara Siyahpour has approximately 17 years of teaching experience and has worked in the educational department of Tehran and Alborz provinces. She was arrested in September of last year during the peak of nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, and was temporarily released on bail shortly thereafter. She has been deprived of having a chosen lawyer during the judicial proceedings. The Coordinating Council of Teachers' Trade Unions previously stated that the charges listed in her dismissal included "participating in teachers' gatherings and sit-ins," "participating in the Women, Life, Freedom campaign and supporting it," "using a humorous sticker of the founder of the Islamic Republic's remarks and forming a non-cooperative group with 14 female colleagues in cyberspace." Meanwhile, this council condemned this "unjust ruling" and declared "strong support for Ms. Sara Siyahpour," warning those who ordered and executed such rulings that "issuing these rulings will not prevent teachers from demanding their rights, but rather these repressions will ignite the hidden anger of teachers more than ever."