Four Iranian Students Summoned to Prosecutor's Office

In Iran, four students have been summoned to the prosecutor's office by the hardline judiciary of the Islamic Republic on charges of endangering national security. These Iranian students are Abdullah Momeni, Saeed Razavi Faqih, Akbar Atri, and Amir Hossein Balali. They were arrested on November 26 after leading a peaceful demonstration but were released the following day. Reports indicate that at least one of the students was beaten. The recent protests by Iranian students were the largest seen in three years, sparked by the sentencing of a Tehran University professor to death. Mr. Hashem Aghajari was accused of 'insulting' Islam in a secret trial because he stated that Iranians should not blindly follow religious leaders. He was sentenced to 74 lashes, eight years of internal exile, and then execution. Since the Islamic court's ruling on November 6, thousands of Iranian students in Tehran and several other cities have engaged in peaceful protests. On November 24, a large group of regime militia in Tehran held counter-demonstrations to condemn the students and support the regime's extremist clerics who dominate the courts and other important government institutions. These militias also condemned the United States and Israel. The ruling against Professor Aghajari and the arrest of Iranian students peacefully protesting this ruling is the latest in a long list of human rights violations by the religious regime of the Islamic Republic. Iranian authorities have been condemned by the United Nations for abuses that include arbitrary arrests, summary executions, the disappearance of opponents, widespread torture, and unfair punishments such as stoning and flogging. The theocratic government of the Islamic Republic restricts freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. In the presidential and parliamentary elections in Iran, which are also controlled by the regime, a vast majority of the Iranian people voted for candidates who expressed support for political and economic reforms in Iran. However, the regime's appointed rulers and their relatives continue to block reforms in Iran while reaping unfair benefits. As President George W. Bush has stated, it is clear that the people of Iran seek the same freedoms, human rights, opportunities, and possibilities that people around the world desire. The government that rules over the Iranian nation must pay attention to their aspirations.