Protests Against 'Camera Installation' on Security Personnel's Uniforms at Sharif University: You Have No Legal Authority

Following the installation of mobile cameras on the uniforms of security personnel at Sharif University of Technology, the Islamic Student Association requested an explanation from the university president in Tehran. In a letter to Reza Rouhvarzi, the president of Sharif University, the Islamic Student Association expressed concern over the installation of cameras on the security personnel's uniforms, asking on what legal authority this decision was made. The letter states that this news was previously announced by 'one of the university's news sources.' The Islamic Student Association, voicing their worries, questioned the president: 'Given the fear that footage from these cameras may be used against students in disciplinary committees or even be a factor in creating cases against students in higher security authorities, what guarantees do you provide for the mental peace of students in this regard?' The installation of mobile cameras on the uniforms of Sharif University's security personnel comes just before the Islamic Republic's elections to succeed Ebrahim Raisi among the candidates approved by the Guardian Council. Sharif University of Technology was an active educational center during the nationwide protests of 2022. Ahead of the elections, the Islamic Student Association issued a statement to Masoud Pezeshkian, a candidate approved by the so-called reformist faction, stating, 'We are tired of your colorful deceptions every day.' Additionally, Ali Karimi, the secretary of this association, recently stated in a student meeting at the university with Masoud Pezeshkian, a government candidate to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, that 'the expiration date of the reformists for the people has passed.' According to a report by the Global Student Assembly (GSF), over 70,000 students participated in the nationwide protests of 2022, and more than 1,700 students were suppressed in various ways by the Islamic Republic. The report indicates that between September 2022 and March 2023, over 800 students were arrested, and 'unprecedented repression' in Iranian universities intensified in the weeks following the reopening of classes. The report refers to the incident of the attack on Sharif University students, known as 'Black Sunday,' as 'one of the darkest crimes in academia,' during which intelligence and plainclothes forces entered the university and shot at students with air guns and paintball guns.