Student Expelled for Posting Poem on Instagram Concurrent with Raisi's Death

A student from Tabriz University has been sentenced to two semesters of academic suspension for posting a poem on Instagram coinciding with the helicopter crash and death of Ebrahim Raisi. Amir Kabir News Telegram channel reported on Wednesday, September 21, that Sadaf Heydari, a student who entered the university in 2021, was punished for 'publishing a poem' on the day of Ebrahim Raisi's death, the former president of the Islamic Republic, in the Instagram storytelling section. According to the report, one day after Raisi's death, Sadaf Heydari's family was contacted and informed that 'by order of the president of Tabriz University, she has been expelled from the dormitory and university and must vacate the dormitory immediately.' The Amir Kabir News report stated that this action was taken while 'no case had yet been opened' against Ms. Heydari in the disciplinary committee and 'no ruling had been issued,' and even university officials had not informed her of the reasons for these actions. However, 'security forces at Tabriz University threatened and insulted her and confiscated her student card, stating that she must vacate the dormitory by morning.' The report also mentioned that Sadaf Heydari was in poor health due to 'eye surgery,' but 'under the threat of arrest and coercion from security, she vacated the dormitory and was later summoned to the disciplinary committee.' The issuance of a two-semester academic suspension for Sadaf Heydari for publishing a poem related to the death of Ebrahim Raisi comes despite the fact that she 'did not reference any individual' in the text she published. This is not the first time students have faced academic suspension due to their activities on social media and comments regarding the death of Ebrahim Raisi. In recent days, student and cultural media in Iran have reported on the authorities' actions against two students accused of 'committing acts against the Islamic Republic in cyberspace.' Additionally, the joy of Iranians over Ebrahim Raisi's death from a helicopter crash was widely reflected on social media, with some users reacting to the event with humorous phrases and narratives, which also reached international circles. Sadaf Heydari has been sentenced to two semesters of academic suspension while Massoud Pezeshkian, the president of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, on September 8, asked the new Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, Hossein Simayi Sarraf, to review the status of expelled professors and students to facilitate their return. The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions criticized the expanding influence of the Basij in the education system.