Teachers' Union: Ibrahim Raisi's Term Marked by the 'Darkest' Stains in Education

On Tuesday, May 21, the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions issued a statement regarding the death of Ibrahim Raisi, referring to his presidency as one of the 'darkest stains in the sky of the Ministry of Education.' This nationwide teachers' union highlighted issues such as 'the poisoning of girls' schools, military and security forces attacking schools, the beating and killing of over 80 students and two teachers, and the arrest and imprisonment of school children' during the nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police in 2022. The council also pointed to 'security crackdowns including imprisonment, forced dismissal and retirement of teachers, the method of hiring new teachers by recruiting 3,000 clerics, severe teacher shortages in the first weeks of the school year, and the failure to deliver textbooks for some grades until the first month' as other 'indicators of the inefficiency of education under the thirteenth government.' Furthermore, regarding the security and judicial actions against teachers and teacher activists during Ibrahim Raisi's presidency, approximately 200 individuals were arrested after May 2022. Currently, several teachers and teacher activists such as Rasoul Badaghi, Hashem Khastar, Asghar Amirzadegan, Eman Jalali Nejad, Amir Esmaeili, Taher Asgarpour, Mahmoud Malaki, Ahmad Alizadeh, Zeinab Hamrang, Javad Laleh Mohammadi, Fatemeh Tadrisi, Nahid Shirpish, Siavash Ebrahimi, Najat Anvar Ebrahimi, Souma Mohammadpour, Ashkan Fahim, and Aziz Qasemzadeh are either detained or serving their sentences on security charges. It is worth mentioning that Aziz Qasemzadeh, a teacher and teacher activist in Gilan province, is on medical leave, and Asghar Amirzadegan, a teacher and teacher activist in Fars province, has also been granted leave from Firoozabad prison. In this context, Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson for the Tehran Teachers' Trade Association and a member of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions, stated during the Teacher's Day in Iran on May 1 that 61 teachers are facing open judicial cases. He added that this is while 10 teachers have been released from prison with electronic ankle monitors, and some are still in prison. The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions declared that it has 'always opposed anti-educational and anti-people policies and, alongside other claimants, has always demanded the prosecution of those responsible for the murder and massacre of people during uprisings, including seeking justice for students and teachers.' It condemned child killings worldwide and expressed hope that those involved in child killings, especially in Iran, would face justice in a fair and public court. The union also referred to Ibrahim Raisi's past activities over the decades, including roles such as deputy prosecutor of a political group, deputy prosecutor of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a member of the death committee, and the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, as well as serving as the first deputy and then head of the judiciary, attorney general, member of the Expediency Discernment Council, vice presidency of the Assembly of Experts, and finally the presidency. Previously, Ibrahim Raisi faced widespread criticism from human rights organizations worldwide for his involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. In this regard, the Iran Human Rights Campaign stated on Monday, May 20, that these executions represent 'the darkest part of Ibrahim Raisi's list of crimes, for which there is still little information available even after nearly 36 years.' Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ibrahim Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Mohammad Ali Alhashem, Malek Rahmati, and other helicopter passengers in the early hours of Monday, May 20.