Parliament Representative: About 90 Students Arrested Nationwide

Parvaneh Salahshouri, a representative from Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced that the number of arrested students as of Friday, January 5, is around 90. The Telegram channel 'Jameh No,' run by several journalists from reformist media in Iran, reported Ms. Salahshouri's statements, indicating that the statistics on arrested students were compiled through the students themselves who have been following the situation. A member of the Hope faction in Parliament stated, 'According to a list provided to me, approximately 90 students have been arrested across the country, and this number may increase or decrease with the release of some, but we are currently certain of the arrest of 90 individuals.' According to Parvaneh Salahshouri, the agency behind the student arrests is the Ministry of Intelligence, and this agency must be held accountable. She also emphasized that members of Parliament will seriously pursue the status of the detained students starting Saturday. The latest statistics published indicated that 43 students had been arrested, but Salahshouri's figure is more than double that. Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology stated that 'many of the students arrested in the early days of unrest have been released,' and the ministry is working to secure the release of other students still in custody. Iran has recently experienced the largest protests since the events of 2009, with demonstrations spanning from the north to the center, east, and west of the country. Reports indicate that over 1,800 individuals have been arrested across 10 provinces. However, protests continue despite these arrests and threats from officials of the Islamic Republic.