Threatening Text Messages from University Security to Students in a Telegram Channel

Following the announcement of new regulations by K.N. Toosi University regarding social media membership, the security department of Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran also sent a "threatening text message" urging students to leave a group associated with "one of the media outlets of this university." Amir Kabir Newsletter described this action as "ridiculous" and published an image of the text message sent to students on Friday, May 21. The message, sent by the "Cyber Space Monitoring Center of the Security Department" of the university, requested students to terminate their membership in the Telegram group "Twitter of Tarbiat Modares Students." Iranian universities have been significant centers of protest during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, and student protests have often faced assaults from government forces, resulting in beatings and the detention of protesting students, with reports indicating that over 700 students have been arrested. Following these protests, in addition to arrests, summonses, suspensions, and expulsions of students, security officials and disciplinary committees at universities have intensified pressure on students by imposing new rules and conditions. In this context, the administrators of K.N. Toosi University have recently prohibited students from "membership in unauthorized social media networks" based on newly established regulations. ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, May 19, that according to the university's announcement, "forming student groups of over one hundred members is also subject to obtaining permission from the university." The Amir Kabir Newsletter Telegram channel also reported on May 16 about the pressure from the disciplinary committee on female students, stating that "a wide range of female students at the Rezaei Nejad campus of K.N. Toosi University received messages regarding hijab (lack of appropriate clothing for students)."