Fahimeh Soltani, Detained Student, Released on Bail

Fahimeh Soltani, a law student at Isfahan University, was released from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan on Monday, April 29, after several months of detention, on bail. Soltani had previously been arrested for her participation in the nationwide protests of 2022 and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, and was sentenced to two semesters of academic suspension. On April 7 of this year, she was summoned again by the Intelligence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Isfahan and subsequently detained. Despite her family's efforts to inquire about her situation, there was no information available regarding the reasons for her detention or her whereabouts for several days. According to the Harana news website, during the 'Speak of Suspension' campaign, she recounted the main harm of being suspended from university: 'Being in limbo; I don’t know if I will return to university or not. Sometimes I feel hopeless and sometimes I feel angry. Being deprived of our basic rights like the right to education is very distressing.' In the initial ruling of the disciplinary committee of Isfahan University in 2022, she was sentenced to a temporary suspension of 2.5 semesters for charges including 'disruption of university programs,' 'insulting religious symbols and sanctities,' 'participation in riots and disturbances,' failure to observe mandatory hijab, and 'not adhering to student decorum.' Pressure on student activists by the Iranian government continues, as recently, a one-year prison sentence for Zia Nabavi and Hasti Amiri was enforced after they were summoned to the execution branch of Evin Prison. They were sentenced to one year in prison for 'propaganda against the regime' after participating in a protest on March 7, 2023, against the serial poisoning of schoolgirls. The ongoing uncertainty regarding Fahimeh Soltani, the detained student in Isfahan, continues amidst pressure on student activists.