Continued Pressure on Teachers; Dismissals Due to an Instagram Post

Mohammad Habibi, a teachers' rights activist and former political prisoner, reported the dismissal of a significant number of 'new teachers' following the killing of Mahsa Amini, stating that these dismissals were due to the publication of an Instagram post. Habibi made these remarks in response to a post about the dismissal and suspension of many new teachers after Amini's death on the social media platform X. He stated, 'I have reliable information that in just one section of the education department in Gilan province, dozens of new teachers have been dismissed solely for one Instagram post. They have not been reported in the media due to concerns about security repercussions.' Habibi also noted, 'There are many such cases in the country, and one of the reasons for the shortage of staff in education over the past two years has been these dismissals.' A user on X commented on the silent dismissal of teachers compared to the media coverage of university professors' dismissals, which was confirmed by this teachers' rights activist. The Islamic Republic's treatment of educators is not limited to new teachers; experienced activists in this sector are also constantly threatened by the regime. In this regard, on June 8 of this year, at least five teachers and educational activists in Gilan, Alborz, East Azerbaijan, and North Khorasan provinces faced dismissal, summons, or suspension in recent weeks. The Telegram channel of the 'Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran' identified these individuals as Rouhollah Mardani, a teachers' union activist in Karaj, and Shahbanu Asadi, a teacher from Gilan province, stating that they received their dismissal orders due to posting content on social media. In April, Sakineh Maleki was dismissed for participating in the nationwide protests of 2021 and joining the teachers' sit-in. The dismissal of university professors also intensified following the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in Iran, known as 'self-purging.' The news website Khabar Online reported in February 2023 that in the first two years of Ebrahim Raisi's presidency, Tehran University and Tehran University of Medical Sciences had 26 dismissals, Allameh University had 5, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad had 6, Azad University had 14, Babol University of Medical Sciences had 2, Iran University of Medical Sciences had 3, and universities such as Hakim Sabzevari, Tarbiat Modares, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Shiraz, Gilan, and Sharif University each had one dismissal. Additionally, members of seven scientific associations in the country issued a statement on September 10, 2023, warning about 'widespread dismissals of professors and security crackdowns on students,' stating that the gradual and currently accelerating 'decline' of the scientific institution exacerbates the current disastrous inefficiency of the governing system. Teachers protesting at a retired teachers' union gathering in Tehran have been arrested. Aziz Qasemzadeh has been diagnosed with prostate cancer; this teachers' rights activist was deprived of treatment for months while imprisoned in Rasht. A teachers' union stated that they did not issue a statement for the participation of teachers, students, and their guardians in the elections. Exclusively, dozens of retired teachers were arrested by the government forces of the Islamic Republic in Tehran. Nine educational activists from Kerman province were summoned to court.