Prosecutor of Zahedan Files Charges Against President of Sistan and Baluchestan University

About two weeks after the release of a video showing several male students dancing at a cultural festival at Sistan and Baluchestan University, the prosecutor of Zahedan announced that charges have been filed against the president of the university. According to ILNA news agency, Mohammad Marzieh stated on Tuesday, June 14, that the charges against Alireza Bandani, the president of Sistan and Baluchestan University, are valid and he is currently 'accused'. Marzieh had previously mentioned that reports regarding the dancing of several students at the university had reached the prosecutor's office and 'necessary follow-ups are underway'. The cultural festival took place in the first week of June. In recent weeks, a video from the closing ceremony of this festival was released, showing several male students performing local dances on stage while others danced in the hall. Meanwhile, Hossein Ali Shahriari, a representative from Zahedan in the parliament, described the students' dancing as 'shameful and unjustifiable', stating that their dance was not a local dance that could be 'justified', but rather 'foreign show-off'. Abbas Ali Soleimani, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, also stated that 'if the university is to engage in dancing and merriment, it is better to close it down'. On June 6, Sistan and Baluchestan University issued a statement declaring that the events that occurred during the ceremony were 'absolutely indefensible' and that legal, decisive, and severe action would be taken against those responsible, including the festival organizers and the offending students. Meanwhile, Alireza Bandani, the university president, stated on Saturday that the disciplinary committee at the university would deal with the 'factors' involved in this incident and that the matter 'could be resolved within the university'. He reported that he had met with the representative of the Supreme Leader in the province and informed him of the 'results of the actions taken' regarding this incident. In recent years, the execution of certain programs at universities, including music events, has faced numerous challenges, and some concerts have also been canceled. Last year, the Council for the Islamization of Universities issued a regulation prohibiting 'the execution of concerts and independent music programs' at universities affiliated with the Ministry of Science. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, has previously criticized the execution of certain programs such as overseas trips or concerts at universities, stating that 'universities are not places for concerts'. He also criticized what he called 'the laxity of cultural institutions' during a meeting with the representatives of the tenth parliament.