Islamic Association of Two Universities Requests Rouhani to Lift House Arrest

On Friday, October 15, the Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences issued a statement requesting President Hassan Rouhani to pursue the issue of lifting the house arrest of Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard. Lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the protests against the 2009 presidential election results was one of Hassan Rouhani's electoral promises. In this statement published by the website Kalemeh, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, the Iranian President is urged to stand against 'lawlessness' and to report to the people on his efforts regarding the lifting of the house arrest of the leaders of the 2009 election protests. Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard, leaders of the protests against the 2009 presidential election results, have been under house arrest since February 2011 without being formally charged or tried, and domestic and international requests for their release have yet to yield results. The call for lifting the house arrest of the leaders of the Green Movement continues, while some Iranian officials have reported that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic opposes holding a trial for Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, stating that their release is solely at the discretion of Ayatollah Khamenei and that the government cannot take action in this regard. The statement from the Islamic Association of Students also includes demands to lift the media ban on certain political figures, including former President Mohammad Khatami. The statement expresses hope that with the removal of the security atmosphere from universities, conditions will be created for active participation of academics in the political arena of the country. The Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences also described the interference of security institutions in universities as 'a source of disgrace' and considered the independence of universities as one of the 'unfulfilled promises' of the Islamic Revolution, calling for action on this issue. The association stated that the loss of university independence is detrimental to all academics and emphasized the necessity for all students and professors to stand together to defend university independence. Other demands include the creation of equitable educational opportunities, lifting educational deprivation for some students, the return of professors who were 'forced into retirement,' and reducing the prices of student services, including food and accommodation. The statement mentions that scientific criticism of 'political governance' and 'social relations' is an important mission entrusted to students, and that such critical engagements will ultimately lead to the creation of a more democratic culture and political development in Iran. The Islamic Association of Students at the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences also criticized what they termed the 'continuation of the media ban' and 'imposition of restrictions on the media,' calling for resolution of existing disputes over issues such as holding music concerts. The state of freedom of expression in Iran has been consistently criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, in recent years.