Exclusive; A Protesting Student: The University Has Been Under Attack by Repressive Forces for the Past Year

A protesting student from inside Iran told Voice of America: "The university and students need the support and companionship of other segments of society more than ever, as they have been constantly under pressure from government repressive forces over the past year." This protesting student, who requested anonymity, added in an exclusive interview with Voice of America that, since the early days of student participation in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising, repressive forces became active in Iranian universities, and new suppressors were hired under the title of security, whose initial actions included the arrest and imprisonment of students. He elaborated on the policies of university repression, stating: "Initially, protesting students were banned from entering, and in November 2022, the disciplinary regulations for students were changed to allow universities more freedom to deprive students of their right to education under the new regulations." According to this student, "After the uprising subsided, the disciplinary committee became a tool for suppressing students, with about 600 students suspended, and even in the summer, the repressive forces initiated a new wave of actions, especially regarding the mandatory hijab, through extensive calls and summonses to the disciplinary committee." He emphasized: "For a year, the university has been under attack from repressive forces, but it seems that until professors were expelled, the issue of the university did not become a social and public issue. The student guilds were one of the important pillars of the student movement since the early 2010s. However, during this period, in many universities, candidates were disqualified, effectively preventing the formation of student guilds." This protesting student residing in Iran further stated to Voice of America: "Officials of the Islamic Republic even at one point issued letters of amnesty and pardon for students, but these letters were completely false, and to this day, not only has no student benefited from the amnesty, but those students who had been arrested and were subjected to a show of amnesty faced new cases at universities, meaning the judiciary issued amnesty but told the universities to open new cases against the students." He stressed that "the university and students need the support and companionship of other segments of society more than ever," noting: "There have been widespread attacks on the university, effectively emptying universities of both demanding and active students and concerned professors, and now it is necessary for civil activists, human rights activists, labor activists, and the entire community to fully support students and the university institution, demanding the cancellation of all rulings issued against students and professors so that the security forces cannot turn universities into military barracks."