Disciplinary Committees of Alzahra and Tehran Universities Condemn Two Female Students to Academic Suspension

In the continuing pressure on students in Iran, two female students at Alzahra and Tehran universities have been condemned to academic suspension. Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Vandi, a counseling student at Alzahra University, announced on Wednesday, September 7, that she received a two-semester suspension sentence, counting towards her academic years, from the disciplinary committee of this women's university. In a note on the social media platform 'X', she wrote: 'According to the disciplinary committee's ruling, I have been sentenced to two semesters of academic suspension for charges of creating unrest and chaos in the university and spreading falsehoods.' Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Vandi noted that this ruling was not subject to appeal and added that last semester she had also been 'banned from entering the university' without receiving a written ruling, only through verbal notification. She emphasized that she has not received 'any clear response regarding the reasons for these unlawful actions.' According to student news channels, a student from Tehran University has also been condemned to academic suspension for charges including refusing to comply with mandatory hijab. The Telegram channel 'Amirkabir Newsletter' reported on Tuesday, September 6, that Yekta Mirzaei, a sociology student at Tehran University, has been sentenced to two semesters (one semester active and one semester suspended) of academic suspension by the disciplinary committee of this university. The accusations against Ms. Mirzaei include 'non-compliance with mandatory hijab,' 'failure to observe student decorum,' and 'insulting national or Islamic symbols and sanctities.' Motahareh Ghonei, a dentistry student (condemned to exile and suspension) at Tehran University, wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'The Minister of Science has said that his priority is to restore hope, joy, respect, and human dignity. Pass this on to him that in just these two weeks, more than ten students have received rulings from university disciplinary committees. Kian Bani Hashemi, Yekta Mirzaei, and Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Vandi are three of them.' 'Amirkabir Newsletter' reported that in the past month, more than 20 students from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tehran University have been condemned to suspension by the appeals committee. According to this professional channel, Kian Bani Hashemi, a master's student in organizational behavior management at Tehran University, was sentenced on August 20 to one semester of academic suspension with counting towards his academic years by the disciplinary committee. Based on the 'executive guideline of the national student disciplinary regulations,' which was issued in December 2022 during the peak of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, the 'Student Disciplinary Committee' is obligated to address 'violations' with an emphasis on 'religious, ethical, legal, and rights standards.' Following the nationwide 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests in 2022, pressure on students and the repression and harassment of them, especially female students, intensified. Many students were arrested or suspended from their studies, and professors who supported them faced similar fates. The protests began in September 2022 in response to the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police.