Mohammad Habibi Sentenced to Imprisonment for Protesting Serial Poisoning of Students

Mohammad Habibi, a teacher and spokesperson for the Teachers' Trade Union in Tehran, announced his imprisonment due to his protests against the serial poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran. On Tuesday, Habibi wrote on his account on the social media platform X: "In the case formed in protest of the serial poisoning of students, I was sentenced to six months and one day of prison." He emphasized: "As I stated in court, defending the rights of students is one of the main duties of any teacher's union activist." According to an image of the ruling that Habibi published, the second branch of the Revolutionary Court in Shahriyar accused him of "propaganda against the regime" due to his comments on social media. Mohammad Habibi, a 45-year-old union activist, had previously been arrested and imprisoned for his union activities in Esfand 96, Ordibehesht 97, and Farvardin 1401. He was tried on January 20, 1402, in the second branch of the Revolutionary Court in Shahriyar on charges of "gathering and colluding against national security." According to the Teachers' Trade Union Council, the case against Mohammad Habibi relates to his arrest on Farvardin 16 last year, and the charges stem from the "gathering of teachers on Esfand 16, 1401, in protest against the serial poisoning of schoolgirls in schools." The intensification of pressure on teachers and educators comes as dozens of teachers have been arrested, summoned, and some imprisoned over the past year due to their union activities. Suspicious and unexplained poisonings in predominantly girls' schools in many cities in Iran began in Azar 1401 amid the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests and continued for several months. The scope of these incidents and the lack of a swift response from security forces, along with contradictory statements from some officials of the Islamic Republic, have fueled speculation about the possible involvement of elements close to the Iranian government in these incidents. While officials of the Islamic Republic deny any connection between these poisonings and gas attacks, they have made varying statements on the matter.