University Disciplinary Guidelines Changed; Kayhan Claims It Will Lead to 'Norm Breaking'

The Kayhan newspaper, which operates under the supervision of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, sharply criticized the new disciplinary guidelines for students, stating that these guidelines could turn universities into a 'space of norm breaking.' In a note published on October 10, it mentioned that 'important issues' have been omitted from these guidelines and that the laws should be written in such a way 'that we do not witness the events of past years in universities.' Universities were significant centers of protest during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, and many students subsequently refrained from adhering to mandatory hijab rules in their university environments. The new disciplinary guidelines for students, which have been criticized by Kayhan, were issued at the beginning of October this year for implementation by the heads of universities affiliated with the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health. According to the Mehr news agency, this guideline aims to avoid 'humiliation and insult' to students and 'any kind of investigation and inspection' into students' lives. The Deputy Minister of Science stated that the disciplinary rulings against expelled students have been violated. Kayhan, in its note, described the punishments for students it claims are members of 'anti-revolutionary groups' as 'negligible,' stating that if a student is 'a member of one of the armed groups,' they 'will never be expelled.' Officials and media of the Islamic Republic refer to political groups opposing the Iranian government as 'anti-revolutionary' and 'armed.' The newspaper also protested against the 'reduction in the severity of punishments' for not adhering to mandatory hijab in universities, stating that under the new guidelines, non-compliance with the dress code approved by the Islamic Republic for women will result in a suspension of 'up to six months' for the student. Kayhan further referred to many instances that it claims lead to the 'reduction' and 'diminution' of punishments for students who do not behave 'within the framework of their country.' Meanwhile, student activists view this guideline, like previous university directives and laws, as a means of suppressing universities. Student protests, including during the Mahsa movement, faced government forces attacking universities, beating, and detaining protesting students, with reports indicating that over 700 students were arrested. In addition to expulsion, suspension, and exile of several protesting students by the university disciplinary committee, some detained students were also sentenced to imprisonment, travel bans, and even flogging in revolutionary courts. In December 2022, a list of new prohibitions and punishments for students in Iran was published.