Dismissal Sentence Issued for a Teacher; Ministry of Education Against Teachers

Reports indicate that in line with restrictions and threats against civil activists, Salman Mousavi, an education official in Lorestan province, has been sentenced to dismissal by the Ministry of Education. According to the website "HRANA", in the ruling of the primary board of education, Salman Mousavi was accused of "propaganda against the regime, disturbing public opinion, insulting the leadership, and spreading rumors against the regime" and was ultimately sentenced to dismissal and the termination of his salary and job benefits. The report states that on April 7, the education department's personnel office prevented this teacher from entering the classroom. Pressure on teachers continues with the start of the new year, and according to published reports, with the end of the Nowruz holidays, a new wave of confrontations and summonses of teachers has begun across the country. In this context, HRANA reported on April 5 about the dismissal of Sekineh Maleki, an education official and teachers' union activist in Gilan province. Human rights media attribute this dismissal to her participation in the nationwide protests of 2022 and joining the teachers' sit-in, stating that the first branch of the administrative violations review board in Gilan province confirmed this dismissal. It has also been reported that the "Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" was the main factor behind the issuance of the dismissal ruling for this teacher. The Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran also announced on April 5 the forced return of Aziz Qasemzadeh, a singer and imprisoned teacher in Rasht, to prison despite the completion of his sentence. Furthermore, reports indicate that Mohammad Sadeghi, a retired teacher and activist in Markazi province, was transferred to Arak prison on April 2 to serve a one-year prison sentence. In Khuzestan province, in recent days, Koukb Badaghi Pega, an activist among teachers in Izeh, has been summoned to the administrative violations review board. In Langarud, due to a complaint from the IRGC intelligence, the 101st branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court fined Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi, a veteran activist of the teachers' movement, 2 million tomans for his Instagram posts. The Telegram channel of the "Coordination Council of Teachers' Trade Unions of Iran" also reported on April 4 the summons of Peyrooz Nami, Siamak Sadeghi Chehraz, and Ali Kouroshati, teacher activists, to the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz. The trend of security and judicial actions by the Islamic Republic against teachers and their union activists has intensified since last year. These actions have drawn criticism from labor and teachers' unions worldwide. Opposition to medical leave for Aziz Qasemzadeh; teachers remain under pressure. Pressure on cultural activists in Iran; the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz summoned three teachers. The spokesperson for the Iranian Teachers' Organization stated that recently security concerns have added to other problems faced by educators. Opposition to the second medical leave request of Reza Shahabi, despite his serious need for surgery. The Iranian Teachers' Union condemned "inhumane rulings" against union activists and women.