Letter from 92 Student Organizations to Rouhani Criticizing the 'Atmosphere of Intimidation' in Universities

Ninety-two student organizations in a letter to the President of Iran criticized the ongoing 'atmosphere of intimidation and threat' and the 'security' environment in Iranian universities, protesting the cancellation of student organization programs and 'illegal and extralegal interventions' in their execution. According to ILNA news agency, these student organizations also warned Hassan Rouhani about the 'danger of passivity among universities and student organizations' in the upcoming presidential elections. The authors of the letter emphasized that the 'atmosphere of intimidation and threat continues to grip the university.' They criticized the 'cancellation of student organization programs without providing reasons,' 'illegal and extralegal interventions in the form of program execution,' and 'failure to address requests for the formation of student unions and disruption of related processes, including preventing the holding of brainstorming sessions for student organizations.' Hassan Rouhani, during his electoral campaign and presidency, repeatedly announced support for the political and cultural activities of students and promised that his government would strive to distance universities from a 'security atmosphere.' In contrast, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has urged university administrators to seriously prevent academic centers from becoming what he calls 'places for the activities of political currents.' The activities of student organizations and the issuance of permits for some new organizations were among the reasons for the impeachment and dismissal of Reza Faraji Dana, the former Minister of Science, on August 20, 2014. In recent months, reports have emerged regarding the crackdown on political and cultural activities of students in universities. Meanwhile, these 92 student organizations protested against 'creating problems for student activists merely on the pretext of presence and activity on social networks,' 'monitoring students' personal matters in cyberspace under false pretenses,' and 'fostering a gendered perspective and implementing segregation plans.' The authors of this letter emphasized the 'role and pressure of irresponsible institutions outside the university' in these events while also describing 'the indifference and ignorance of the Minister of Science regarding the problems of students and university organizations' and 'his failure to follow up' on these issues as 'inexcusable.' According to these student organizations, 'the limited communication of the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health with the university body and lack of awareness of the real problems and concerns of students' has led to 'the university environment increasingly taking a discouraging trajectory.' In the end, these 92 student organizations called for 'lifting restrictions and facilitating the formation of student organizations' and 'removing the security and interventionist atmosphere' in universities. Previously, student organizations had protested the continuation of the 'security atmosphere' in Iranian universities and the crackdown on student activists and publications. Among them, 29 reformist student organizations on July 4 wrote a letter to the President, criticizing the numerous discriminations between 'organizations aligned with power' and 'progressive organizations,' including the 'deprivation' of reformist organizations from holding meetings, asking the government to 'assist students in achieving their legitimate demands.' In February 2016, 813 student publication activists also wrote to Mr. Rouhani, asking him to issue a 'decisive order' to higher education managers to prevent the 'growing trend of illegal crackdowns' on these publications.