Reactions to Student Protests in Tehran and Criticism of 'Incompetence in Ensuring Security'

Students gathered at the dormitory of Tehran University to protest the killing of their fellow student, Amir Mohammad Khalighi, which escalated into clashes involving security forces and plainclothes agents, with reports of several students being detained. The Telegram channel 'Amirkabir Newsletter' reported early on Saturday, February 16, that 'with the insistence of the students,' all four detainees were 'temporarily released.' Amir Mohammad Khalighi, a 19-year-old business management student, was stabbed near the university dormitory on Wednesday evening and died on Thursday morning; according to Tehran police, the assailants were 'two motorcycle robbers.' A statement read at the student gathering said, 'Incompetent officials have caused the innocent youth of Iran to bleed due to their mismanagement.' The statement noted previous warnings to officials about the lack of safety for students, adding that if there were an incident related to 'hijab enforcement' or the joy of a few individuals, 'what uproar would ensue?' Several universities and political and civil activists have supported the protesting students. Notably, Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called for support for the students' protests, echoing the students' statement that 'what is worthless and valueless is the lives of young people; why must we either flee or be killed?' She emphasized, 'What do the so-called universities do to your sorrowful and hopeless children?' and urged, 'Let us not leave the protesting youth alone. Let us raise their cries of protest.' Masih Alinejad, a prominent opposition figure, also wrote on X: 'This was not just a simple robbery. This is the result of a system that has combined poverty, insecurity, and repression.' He continued by referencing the Supreme Leader's claims of security in the country, stating, 'Ali Khamenei and his corrupt allies have been lying to us for years: whatever you lack, 'at least you have security.' Did Amir Mohammad have security?' Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner, also wrote on Instagram: 'In a country where unemployment, corruption, poverty, and lack of psychological and social security drive people towards theft and illegal acts, where a young person knows that if their laptop is stolen, they will be unemployed and risk their life for it, the problem cannot be solved by securing one door, one university, or one area or city.' Prince Reza Pahlavi described the murder of Amir Mohammad Khalighi and the violence against protesting students as indicative of 'the incompetence of the Islamic Republic in ensuring the security of the nation,' writing on social media that the Islamic Republic 'instead of protecting the lives and rights of citizens, is the main factor of insecurity through repression, detention, and killings.' According to the Amirkabir Newsletter, students condemned the 'violent actions' of security forces during the student gathering on Friday, stating in a declaration: 'Instead of accountability and addressing security issues, we are witnessing the repression of students and efforts to silence their voices of protest.' Declarations have also been published by several other universities in Iran on social media. The protest gathering began on Friday afternoon at Tehran University dormitory and, according to Tasnim, the news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ended at 10 PM. State media did not mention the clashes and violence of security forces against students in their reports regarding this gathering. However, a video has emerged of a student stating that after being attacked by intelligence forces and breaking his nose, he managed to escape into the dormitory, but the agents took his electronic devices. Additionally, student sources and the Telegram channel 'National Student Guild Councils' reported that during the clashes at the entrance of the boys' dormitory, a walkie-talkie belonging to one of the plainclothes agents fell to the ground, and after a female student protested their presence, dozens of plainclothes agents who were behind the dormitory door attempted to take her out in an ambulance. State media also reported the presence of Saeed Habibi, head of the Student Affairs Organization, Hassan Hosseini, acting head of Tehran University, and Ali Hossein Rezayan, deputy of Tehran University, among the protesters. The acting head of Tehran University told the protesting students that, similar to the events of July 9, 1999, this time too, 'plainclothes agents' were responsible for escalating the student gathering into violence and intended to push the clashes into the streets. Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the government, wrote on social media that the cultural-social deputy of the Ministry of Science 'will be present at Tehran University dormitory for dialogue and investigation of the issue.' The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has announced that it is addressing the case of Amir Mohammad Khalighi's murder in a 'special branch of the Tehran prosecutor's office,' and the police command has stated that a special order has been issued for the arrest of the assailants. Many students residing in the university dormitory have expressed their concerns about the lack of security in the area on social media and in conversations with the Faraz website and student channels, stating that they had repeatedly warned about the insecurity, but their warnings were met with indifference from officials.