Minister of Science Expresses Ignorance About 'Accurate Statistics' of Detained Students

In the continuation of protests by the people in several cities of Iran and its consequences, the Minister of Science in Hassan Rouhani's government expressed ignorance about the 'accurate statistics' of students detained during these protests. Simultaneously, a Tehran governor's official announced on Tuesday, January 2, that a total of 450 individuals have been arrested in the city over the past three days. However, the Deputy Governor of Tehran did not differentiate in his statistics and did not specify how many of those arrested were students. Previously, only the Deputy Security Minister of Iran had stated that more than 90% of those arrested in the recent unrest are young and adolescent, with an average age under 25, and generally have no prior arrest records. Now, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported on Tuesday, quoting Minister of Science Mansour Gholami, that 'a number' of students who were detained in recent days have been released. However, according to this official in Rouhani's government, 'so far, no statistics regarding students detained outside university environments have reached the Ministry of Science.' He stated: 'Yesterday, a number of students were arrested following gatherings, and with my intervention and that of the President of Tehran University, these individuals were released, but if a student has been arrested in the streets, no statistics have reached the Ministry of Science, and we are not aware of it.' Earlier, on the past Saturday, an official from the Ministry of Science had reported that three students from Tehran University were arrested during the protests, of which two have been released according to this official. Meanwhile, the Student Guild Councils of the country issued a statement to the Minister of Science, referring to the protests of student activists against 'the cheapening of labor, unemployment and instability, privatization of essential services such as education and healthcare, commodification and monetization of education, and neglect of the environment,' criticizing the response of the Ministry of Science officials. The statement reads: 'Instead of prioritizing their legal duties such as providing free education for all, protecting students from external assaults, the right to hold student gatherings, etc., officials have collaborated with coercive institutions outside the university to arrest a large number of rights-seeking students.' The Student Guild Councils then, 'as the elected representatives of all students in the country,' demanded from Mansour Gholami 'to address the issue for the immediate and unconditional release of detained students without bail or commitment.' They also stated: 'The repetition of security confrontations, summons, pressure, and the arrest of other students, or the failure to protect academics and the entry of security forces into the sacred realm of the university will call into question any legal legitimacy of the Ministry of Higher Education, and in return, we will use all our organizational tools for seeking justice and addressing the situation of imprisoned students.' The Student Guild Councils have also announced the names of detained students for the Minister of Science's information. According to this statement, Sina Rabiei, Mohsen Haqshenas, Mikaeil Ghali Rad, Pedram Pazira, Mohammad Mohammadian, Ali Mozaffari, Mehdi Wahabi Sani, Soheil Mohavadan, Arash Avari, Danial Iman, Amir Hossein Elm Talab, Majid Akbari, Mohsen Torabi, Kasra Noori, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam Riyabi, and several students from Allameh Tabatabai University, including Faiza Abdi Pour, are among the students who have recently been arrested by security agents. Meanwhile, the Emtehad website, close to reformists, reported on Tuesday, quoting Fatemeh Saidi, a member of parliament, that she is 'following up' on the situation of detained students in Iran. However, this parliament member did not provide information about the number and condition of students who have been arrested in recent days. Last Thursday, a gathering was held in Mashhad in protest against the country's economic situation and the failure to return people's deposits in some financial institutions, which spread to several other cities in Iran. Participants in these gatherings, held in protest against rising prices and economic problems, also chanted slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Hassan Rouhani. So far, at least 21 people have been killed during these gatherings and protests, and hundreds have been arrested.